Innocent Musings
by Kerist
Summary: Karleigh wishes her Muse, Seth, away to the Labyrinth, where it turns out he and Jareth are old friends. Seth's old girlfriend shows up to cause some havoc, and Karleigh's on the receiving end. Complete!
1. The Wish

Author's Note: So how many times have we wanted to just do something terrible to our Muses? A lot. So that's all this is, theorizing about that. Unoriginal, maybe, but I don't care.

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I slumped over my keyboard, utterly devoid of ideas. I was nothing more than an empty husk, a vessel that had once carried creative plot twists and character deaths, and now, now I had writers' block. For once I actually had people reading my story! It was my first Labyrinth fic and I was so excited about it, and now I had writers' block! Damn! And my muse was _definitely _not any help.

Seth patted my shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry there, you'll think of something soon," he said, smiling at me. I glared at him. Like most of my heroes he had short black hair and blue eyes to which the adjectives 'striking', 'stunning', and 'spectacular' could be applied. Oh yeh, I definitely had a type.

"Oh, go away, you stupid Muse," I muttered, waving a hand in his general direction. A sour look crossed his face just before he disappeared. I'd be paying for that later.

Then, out of the blue - well, really, the rain, because it was pouring outside - my brother bounded into the kitchen, which I could clearly see from the computer room. Unceremoniously he dropped his football on the floor and kicked off his muddy shoes. Why he insisted on playing basketball in the rain, and by himself, I could not understand.

Glaring at me, he marched into the computer room with the air of someone about to do something that would make me want to kill him. "What did you do when you got up this morning?" he demanded.

I twitched. This morning I had gotten on the computer to - the horror - check my email. It didn't matter to him that he had been up for _two hours _before then, and that I only stayed on for _fifteen minutes _and then sporadically got throughout the day to check up on, well, email, I am a teenager I'm obsessed with email. He had _plenty _of time to get on and play his stupid Star Craft game.

"You could've just asked me!" I screamed, and he looked mildly surprised. I rarely scream. "If you wanted to get on I would've let you!" I yelled, furious with him. "But no, since you had to be so _rude _about it I'm going to stay on!" I resisted the urge to scream 'Fuck off!' as he exited.

How I loathed him sometimes.

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Later the phone rang.

"Is Thomas there?"

I rolled my eyes. It was for my brother, what a surprise! "Just a sec," I said, walking towards Thomas's room. The phone was always for him. It was so annoying that he didn't keep it in his room or even try to answer it. He just assumed that I, his elder sister, his much more intelligent sister, would answer it.

More than anything in the world I hated the sound of the phone ringing. It was just so intrusive - it disturbed my daydreams. No one was to disturb my daydreams, on penalty of death. Unfortunately I couldn't kill a phone, so I just shoved my brother's door open without knocking (surprise surprise he was playing video games) and threw the phone at him.

As I was leaving I heard him say, "Guess how mean my sister was today!"

I bit my lip. It was really hard not to say 'Fuck off!' now.

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I huddled into the covers of my bed, placidly watching Labyrinth for the fifth time since we'd rented it.

Seth appeared at my side with a triumphant look on his face. "Finally!" he exclaimed. He grinned as I moaned and sat down on my bed next to me. "Why the long face, Kar?"

My jaw dropped. "What did you just call me?"

Seth smirked. "I think it's cute."

I glared at him. "I sent you to _Prague! _I don't even know where that is! How could you have possibly discovered my new nickname?! And how the heck did you get back here? I didn't bring you back here!"

Leaning back against my headboard, Seth stretched lackadaisically. "You have a lot to learn about Muses, my dear Authoress."

"Don't call me that," I spat, scooting away from him. Though I was still convinced that he was a hallucination brought on by stress or something of the like, and therefore logically couldn't do anything to me, I was still scared of him. "And get off my bed!"

Glaring at me, he just settled in more. "And where do you suggest I go? There are not any chairs in your room, and your bed takes up half the floor space."

I shrugged. "Not my fault." I bent forward and hit the play button on the remote, once again immersing myself in the fantastic world that was the Labyrinth. Seth's annoyance was audible, he moaned several times before I grabbed a pillow and hit him on the head. Grabbing the pillow from my hands, he hit me back and in the ensuing scramble for another pillow the remote got knocked off the bed.

"Look what you made me do!" I hissed, leaning over the side of the bed. There was just enough room for my head and my arm in the space between the bed and the wall, but it was difficult to see anything. So I was searching blindly for the remote by just waving my hand over the carpet, when Seth tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around to find that he had the remote in his hand. "I despise you," I promptly announced, reaching my hand out to grab it. Seth however raised it out of my reach. Fuming, I glared at him. "What do I have to do to get it back?" I asked, dreading the answer.

He nodded at the screen. "Stop watching this stupid movie," he murmured, bending his face close to mine. I shivered and drew back.

"I'll just use the buttons on the VCR, so there, you stupid Muse," I said, scooting towards the end of the bed. One, I wanted to be closer to the VCR, which was in an awkward place in front of my bed, and I had to be on the bed to actually use it, and two, I wanted to get away from Seth, who was staring holes in my back.

As the movie continued playing I basically tuned out Seth's presence. No wonder I couldn't write any more of my Labyrinth fic, my muse hated the movie! I pondered over the question of how to get to like watching David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, and Muppets.

Snorting, Seth said, "Look at that dress! That's the poofiest thing I've ever seen! Who would want to wear a dress like that?"

Okay, so we shared the same opinion on the dress, but like any fangirl faced with a critic of her obsession, I jumped into the defensive. "It's the kind of dress every girl dreams about when she's little!" I hissed. Seth glared at me and I inched further away from him. So much for getting him to like the movie. I sighed and returned my attentions to the screen.

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Ah, the owl outfit. How the scene managed to freak me out. Jareth's proposal was nothing less than well... disturbing, and while part of me loved listening to it, the other half hated every second of it.

"Just let me rule you," Seth whispered in time with the movie. I stiffened and turned around to face him. He was sitting closer than I had realized. My first thought was _How the hell does he know these lines?, _but that disappeared as he kept talking with the movie, kept coming closer to me. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave," he whispered.

Our noses touched. I felt myself shudder, and Seth reached out to slide his arms around me. For a second I was tense, but then I let him hold me. It had been a very, very long day. I was tired and stressed and my brother had made me feel stupid and inadequate. Being in Seth's arms, even if he was just a figment of my imagination, or even if he really was my Muse, was comforting.

"Now," he murmured, turning off the movie. "Kar, my darling," he said, and I didn't even mind him calling me by that stupid nickname, "I still don't see what you like about that thing." What? I pulled back and stared at him. He shook his head. "I really did try watching it, darling, but - "

"I hate you. You're a jerk. You beat me with a pillow, you steal my remote, you insult my favorite movie, you freak me out by quoting along with Jareth, and to top it all off, you're a pathetic excuse for a muse." I wiped a tear from my eye. Seth opened his mouth to say something but I muttered, out of sheer frustration and because I was emotionally drained, "I really wish the goblins would take you away. Right now."


	2. Stalker or Goblin King?

To my slight surprise Seth actually disappeared. Perhaps he was just trying to freak me out again. But wouldn't it have been more enjoyable for him to torture me by staying and making a big show about how the story wasn't real? Oh well, who could understand men, anyway?

Figments of the imagination, my brain immediately corrected me. Sometimes it was really hard to convince myself that Seth was a hallucination. After all, he seemed... well, solid. Or maybe it was just instinct to move away from anything coming towards you... like when people got scared by images on the giant screens they had at the movie theatres.

"He's not real," I whispered, laying down on the bed and pressing a hand to my temple. Great, now I had a headache. From an imaginary man.

There was a slight shifting noise behind me and then a voice that caused me to freeze up, "Oh, I assure you, Seth is very real, Karleigh." I turned my head and my stunned eyes connected with the figure I instantly recognized as Jareth.

He was donned in a spectacular red and gold outfit, a red poet's shirt with gold lacing down the front, and full length pants of the same fabric and style, and to top it all off a great red cloak. His hair was as magnificently windswept and blonde as it was in the movie. For the first time I could see the different colors of his eyes: one a harsh ice blue, the other a warm hazel.

There were various thoughts tumbling through my mind at this point, but only one prominent one.

No. Frickin. Way.

Okay, so what did I do now? There was a rather handsome blonde guy standing in my bedroom, who could probably take me in a fight if he really wanted to. And it wasn't like I had a baseball bat under my bed. So, like any good suburbanite kid, I recalled everything my parents ever told me about situations like this.

I screamed.

Jareth looked startled, and I took his momentary distraction to run past him and out of my room. The nearest door was my brother's, so I hastily turned the doorknob and launched myself into his room. "Thomas! There's a guy dressed up like Jareth in my room and.... and you're not in here."

The room was empty of any living being excepting myself. Tentatively I walked around, opened the closet just to check, and could not find one trace of my brother. And even after all that screaming, my mom hadn't come running.

So, next suburbanite step? Grab the phone on the floor and call 911, of course! So I picked up the phone and eagerly pressed call. Only to find that there was no dial tone.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I whispered, as Jareth appeared in the doorway. Okay, so the phone lines had been cut. _Would that affect a wireless phone? Well, apparently it has... _And since no one had responded to my screaming, this impersonator had probably killed them already.

Well, if he intended to kill me, I was going to go down fighting. Shaking slightly, I tightened my grip on the phone and held it like a weapon. "What'd you do with my family?" I demanded.

He cocked an eyebrow. "They are not needed right now, Karleigh," he said, taking a step towards me. "We have matters to discuss."

For every step he took towards me I took one backwards, until I was finally backed up against the wall. _What kind of a sadistic freak dresses up like the King of the Goblins to breaks into a house and commit a multiple murder?_ Why'd he choose that particular outfit? Had he been stalking me? It wouldn't be hard for a stalker to realize how much I liked the movie...

"You seem surprised to see me," he said.

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered.

An amused expression crossed his face. "Human phrases never fail to amuse me," he said, shaking his head slightly. "But your fear is starting to annoy me. You know why I am here, Karleigh."

For some obscure reason, I blushed. What did I have to be embarrassed about? "You can't be serious," I said, "You're not really _him._" Maybe he was on drugs.

Sighing, the man I had to call Jareth for sake of identification extended his hand. "Children today," he murmured, "do not even believe in their own fantasies. Such a pity." As he ended his little speech a crystal appeared in his hand, making me jump.

"Oh my God, you really are Jareth!" I yelped. This went against everything I was ever taught. Laws of physics, for one. Also the insistence I'd put upon myself that Seth was a hallucination brought on by stress and whatnot, which was a lot more startling. Breaking the laws of physics was cool. Having a 20-odd-year-old man able to pop in and out of my room, with full ability to interact with the environment, was not.

"So ... Seth is... real..." I dropped the phone and slid down the wall. My head was spinning. This was so not happening to me.

Naturally Jareth begged to differ. He made a point that yes, this was happening to me. Bending down so that we were eye-to-eye, he held the crystal a mere inch or two away from me. "All of your questions, Karleigh," he whispered, "the answers to all of them are in here."

Like hell they were. "I want to get Seth back," I murmured. That Muse... man... Muse-man-thing... had some _serious _explaining to do. And if my limited computer skills were any evidence, I would probably end up not being able to work the crystal. Having all the answers to my questions wouldn't help if I couldn't get to them.

Come to think of it, Jareth would probably find that hilarious. "I definitely want to get Seth back," I said, louder this time.

Jareth sighed heavily. "If that is what you wish," he said.

We were suddenly at the hill before the Labyrinth. Jareth summoned a gold pocket watch and dropped it on my head. Scowling, I opened it. There were two faces. Fashioned like a locket where you could put pictures in both sides, really. The right face had the numbers one through thirteen on it, the one on the left, one through twelve.

Smirking, Jareth pointed towards his castle. "Considering everything Seth has told me about you, I'm giving you thirteen days to reach the center."

"My, aren't you generous," I said, standing up. Thirteen days? Did _anyone _have _any _faith in me? "And what exactly has Seth told you?"

"Only enough to assure me that you will need every second, if you are to have any hope of coming near my castle," Jareth said. He began to fade away, which was a kind of disturbing sight. "I still don't think you can make it."

As I stumbled down the hill, I couldn't help but agree with him.

A/N: Wow! I have reviews! I wasn't expecting that, really. Thanks so much to **BlueyChan**, **Lyss**, **Mab, Queen of Faerie**, and **Princess-RainbowRose**!!!! Sorry it took so long to update. Maybe I'll revert to third person and do a Jareth-Seth thing next chapter. (Haha JS takes on a whole new meaning....maybe ::cackles::) Please review!


	3. Getting Inside

A/N: This was a quick update. Four days! I warn you not to get used to that. Oh! And I meant to mention that Karleigh is a compilation of mine and my friends' personalities. She's not an actual person... but you can pretend she is if it makes you happy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Labyrinth or Scotch tape.

Thanks to my reviewers:

Princess-RainbowRose: Glad you thought it was funny. Karleigh and Seth? I don't know about that yet... but I do have a scene in mind where... well... you'll just have to wait. ;)

Mab, Queen of Faeire: Hey! Thanks for adding me. I never realized that it was funny. I just wondered how a suburbanite (me and my friends are) would really react to find someone in their room like that.

FitsofRage: I was surprised that no one else had done it. Thanks for reviewing!

sych77: As for David Bowie's eye color.. they're the same. I paused the tape on all the close ups and checked that. I just changed them for story purposes which if you read other fantasy fics should be pretty obvious, but they'll be revealed later. Your muse sounds... interesting. But biased. Sasquatches can write just as well as anyone else if they put their minds to it.

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Once again, I was completely devoid of ideas. Among other things, I couldn't find the door to the Labyrinth. _This doesn't make sense, _I thought. _That thing was ten feet high. Where the hell could it have gone?_ This was not an optimistic start to my journey.

"Okay, checklist," I murmured to the universe in general. "Outer wall? Check." Yes, the wall was still there, and still very high. "Fairies? Check." I rubbed the place on my arm where one had bitten me earlier. I could see now why Hoggle had been killing them. "Bushes and vines? Check." Maybe I could use the plants to hoist myself over the wall?

Well, since I couldn't find the door, or Hoggle, that seemed to be my only option. Jareth had probably moved the door on purpose, just so I could look like an idiot trying to climb over that stupid wall. "Yeh yeh real funny GK," I muttered, grabbing a vine. "Absolutely _hilarious._"

At least the wall was old. There were plenty of holes to use as foot and handholds, and the vines helped me too. The bushes basically got in my way, though. "Stupid bush!" Oh, the universe had to hate me. Why the heck had I put shorts on that morning?

By the time I got halfway up the wall my legs were covered in shallow scratches. Jareth was probably laughing his head off. Panting, I pressed my forehead to the wall. "I have the horrible feeling," I announced to no one in particular, "that I am going to need every minute of those thirteen days." Angrily I banged my fist against the wall to punctuate the sentence.

Which turned out to be a mistake.

The wall gave an ominous creak and before I could dislodge myself it began to crumble. I shrieked and toppled forward with the broken stones. Old age had apparently worn this section out. Of course I had to pick that section to scale.

Instinctively I closed my eyes and waited for the rubble to settle. Eventually I could feel the coolness of the Labyrinth floor beneath me. At least I was inside.

However, the pain in my leg seemed to indicate that a rock was pinning me down. The smaller rocks and dust on my back allowed me to sit up, and when I looked down at my left leg, there was a large stone sitting on it. And it _hurt. _Once again I was reminded that this place was very real indeed, that it was not a hallucination. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I struggled to get free.

"Hoggle!" I cried helplessly. Shouldn't he be around here somewhere? "Hoggle, help!" Nothing stirred besides the stone I could lift off of me. "Somebody _please _help!" I yelled. There had to be someone out there who could help me. "This would be a really good time for Ludo to show up."

But of course he didn't, because the universe hated me.

For the next few minutes I just sat there, pushing as hard as I could at that rock, and occasionally screaming for help. What the heck had I gotten myself into? I should be at home, on my computer, talking to my friends, writing my story, and living a normal life.

I was starting to wonder if Seth was worth all of this. Yes, I'd discovered that he was real, but still, my leg could be broken. Was he worth getting a broken leg? The man routinely distracted me from my stories, homework, and chores.

He also had a habit of turning my alarm clock off when it was imperative that I wake up on time. That was really annoying. I'd had to put Scotch tape over the button so that he couldn't do it anymore. Seth always had short nails so he couldn't pry the tape off. But before I'd figured that out I'd nearly been late to school _twice._

Come to think of it, he hit me with pillows a lot too. Why was I in here again? I should just let Jareth keep him, and turn him into a goblin.

But then I'd never be able to finish my story. "Hell," I muttered. Damn Seth for having a purpose!

"You ain't never gonna get through the Labyrinth at this rate," a voice said. Startled and relieved I turned my head to see a stumped dwarven figure.

"Hoggle!" I yelped. "Oh, you have _no idea _how good it is to see you!"

Hoggle didn't seem the least bit surprised that I knew his name. He tottered forward, jewels clinking together at his side. A brief flame of obsessed fandom erupted in my chest as I saw the plastic bracelet around his wrist. "Will you help me up?" I pleaded.

"Jareth's gonna be mighty angry when he finds out you busted his wall," Hoggle said.

I resisted the urge to scream. "Jareth can bite me," I muttered.

Hoggle paused beside the rock and looked at me. "I wouldn't be suggesting that to him," he warned. The blood drained out of my face. Disturbing mental image there. Hoggle turned his attention back to the rock. "Now," he said, "whats am I going to get for helpin you?"

This was something I should have foreseen. Unfortunately I find jewelry extremely annoying and don't wear any. The only thing I had was the pocket watch Jareth had given me, and I needed that. "I... I don't have anything," I stuttered.

Sniffing, Hoggle retorted, "Well then I don't see me helpin you. Jareth'd get furious."

I bit my tongue. There had to be something. I shifted slightly and felt around in my pockets. The pain in my leg was decreasing by the minute, it was going numb at last. Considering, though, that I knew nothing of medicine, that could've been a bad sign. Finally my hand clutched a penny. I pulled it out and held it out to Hoggle. He frowned at it. "What is that?"

Well, so it wasn't a _new _penny, and it was covered in that ugly grime coins get on them. But it could be cleaned! "It's all I have," I begged. "Please?" Hoggle continued frowning. For a second I felt my heart drop - but then I had an idea. It was insane and it probably wouldn't work, but it was an idea.

"What if we toss the coin?" I asked. "To see if you help me. Heads I win, tails you loose."

For a second Hoggle hesitated. "Seems fair enough," he said. "But no cheatin!"

I would've grinned if I wasn't still stunned he'd actually fallen for it. "Okay," I said, tossing the coin up. "Remember the terms," the coin fell back to the ground.

Hoggle bent over to check it. "Tails!" he yelled.

Now I grinned. "You loose," I said. "Now help me!"

Grumbling, Hoggle pushed at the rock. He managed to dislodge it and I could see the blood rushing back to my leg. I rubbed at it and stood up, still grinning like a maniac. Hoggle nodded and coughed. "Well, now that I'm done here," he said, turning to leave.

I grabbed his collar. "Oh no," I said. "You lost the bet. You have to help me."

Hoggle tried to continue walking. "I already helped you!" he yelped.

Therein lied the genius of my plan. "You pushed the rock off me. But we bet that you'd help me, and you lost. You aren't done until I don't need your help anymore."

Fuming, Hoggle looked suspiciously at me. "And when will that be?" he demanded.

I pulled the pocket watch out of my other pocket and flipped it open. "Twelve days, twenty three hours, two minutes, and ... three seconds from now. Or when I get my Muse back. Whichever comes first."

And with that, I had acquired my guide through the Labyrinth. There was a smirk on my face as Hoggle lead me down the path, still grumbling about human women.

Heads I win, tails you loose. It was the oldest trick in the book. Maybe I wouldn't need the full thirteen days after all.

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A/N: Whee! I love that trick. People have actually fallen for it, which is always great. Usually I do it just to see if they're actually paying attention, and give them whatever I won back. Otherwise that'd be mean. Okay, well, I will be going out of town for three (to four) days, so when I get back I expect reviews!


	4. The Gallery

Jareth, now donned in a simple white poet's shirt and pale blue pants, stared amusedly into his crystal, watching Karleigh carefully listen to Hoggle's instructions. That would come to his advantage later. He smirked and looked up at Seth, who was sitting on a chair across from the throne and fuming.

"What're you smiling about?" The infuriated Muse demanded. "What've you done to Karleigh?" He jumped up and grabbed the crystal from Jareth's hands. It immediately popped. Seth ground his teeth together. "Dammit Jareth if I still had my powers - "

"Would you like them back?" Jareth asked. His tone was low. Seth faltered. The offer was enticing, but with the Goblin King there was always a catch. "All it would take would be a letter to the High Court, Seth."

Blast it, Seth thought. He pressed a hand over his eyes. The magic in the Goblin kingdom was starting to get to him. If things didn't slow down he was going to pass out from the pounding that was starting in the back of his head.

Jareth bent forward and pressed a gloved finger to Seth's temple, making the man flinch. "Hold still," the King commanded. Seth reluctantly obliged, and a moment later the pain in his skull was fading. Jareth put his hand back in his lap.

Seth sat back down in his chair. "Thank you," he said. He was still angry at Jareth, but there was nothing he could do about it except proceed cautiously. He crossed his legs and stared at the Goblin King. Jareth smirked. "What exactly do you want in exchange for this letter?" Seth asked.

For a second Jareth was quiet. "You know that in politics," he began, "the best way to peace is most often marriage." Seth nodded hesitantly. What did that have to do with him? "Servitude is only a step below that. Your skills are highly regarded, Seth," and he looked at the Muse with nothing but seriousness in his eyes.

Seth suppressed a gag. "You want me to serve you? Never." Some things he would just not do, no matter what the prize was.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," Jareth murmured. He waved his hand and conjured a wine glass, half full of the best red wine from his cellar. After a short pause had summoned on for Seth, too. The two men sipped their drinks in silence, regarding each other carefully.

Finally, Jareth pinned down in his head how he wanted to approach the tenuous subject that lay before them. "Seth," he said, slowly, "do you remember Lady Rachelle?" He flinched as Seth choked on his drink. "Such crass behavior," he murmured disapprovingly.

The Muse shot Jareth a death glare. "What does she have to do with anything?" he demanded, shivering slightly. Lady Rachelle was one of the reasons he was now a Muse for a human girl. She had hauled him into court and hired the best lawyers to see that he was given a guilty verdict. Though she had said she was angling for the death sentence, if at all possible.

"In your day, your skills with magic were well known through Underground," Jareth said.

Seth snorted. "They were my downfall," he muttered bitterly, remembering the humiliation of being caught and brought in before a judge.

Jareth snickered and sipped more of his drink. "Only because you decided to use them for evil, my friend," he murmured.

The features of Seth's face softened as he relaxed slightly. _That sounds like something Kar would say... _he sighed. Right now his charge was running through a potentially lethal maze and he'd done nothing in the year he'd been with her that could possibly aid her. _I hope you're okay, Kar. Hoggle better keep you safe. Otherwise I'll make Jareth pay..._

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No! Why! Why was this happening to me? "This is so not fair," I whispered. Hoggle shook his head. "You were the one who wanted to go this way," he pointed out. I sighed and leaned against the wall. Okay. I had to think.

We were standing in a very narrow corridor. The walls were so close together Hoggle couldn't even stand next to me, he had to walk in front. Now we had stopped and were apparently at the end of the pathway. In front of us were two doors, each angled so as to keep us in single file.

There was no clue, at least none that either of us could see, as to which door we should take. "Let's just turn around," I said, doing so, "and retrace our steps." Grumbling angrily, Hoggle followed me back down the pathway.

We walked for several minutes before I saw a red blob in front of us. I halted. From this distance it looked suspiciously like those two doors. Hoggle pushed me and I reluctantly kept walking. As we drew nearer to the blob I saw that my hunch was right. I groaned. "These can't be the same doors!" I whined. "Can they?"

Hoggle scratched his chin. "Things ain't always what they seem," he allowed, "but this is the Labyrinth. They could be the same doors. Looks like we got to choose one, anyway."

I sighed. "So which one?" I asked, looking closely at them. They seemed identical. "Dunno," Hoggle said. We were both quiet for a second, brooding over the choice. Then we met eyes. "You pick!" we chorused.

"Jinx!" I said, smirking. "You have to pick."

Hoggle griped but looked like he was actually considering it. "I know," he finally said. "The right one," he ordered. I stepped forward and turned the knob, then shoved the door open. I tried to ascertain what was in there but Hoggle shoved me and I stumbled inside, only managing to catch myself as he shut the door. "You take that one, I'll take the left one!" he said smugly, as it shut.

I jumped up and beat my palms against the door. "Ho_ggle_!" I cried, furious. I tried the doorknob but it was locked. Fuming, I pivoted slammed my back against the door. "Typical," I muttered. I should have expected that the little dwarf would worm his way out of our deal. I began to look around the room.

The walls were curved in. They were covered with a dark red fabric, and the carpet was a matching color. There was a black, iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling, with over a hundred candles in it. "At least it's not Fiery Forest," I said, walking towards the center of the room.

As I did, several candles along the wall lit themselves, making me jump. There were six of them. Each hung under a large, medieval-style portrait. I walked up to the closest one to inspect it.

It was a picture of a pocket watch. I could feel my eyes narrow as I frantically searched for the one Jareth had given me. When I finally managed to open it and compare it to the painting, my heart skipped a beat. They both showed the same time. Creepy.

The second picture was an aerial view of the Labyrinth. Whoever had done it was a very skilled artist, it was absolutely gorgeous. I stared at it for a few minutes before moving onto the next painting. It was a portrait of Jareth lounging on his throne. I rolled my eyes and quickly walked on by, not letting myself get sucked in his glamour. Somehow the artist had been able to capture the air that surrounded him.

Fourth was a picture of a woman I didn't recognize. She had black hair that reached down to her neck and was done up very ornately, in a formal (pink, yuck) ball gown. Something that reminded me of the one Sarah wore in the movie and that you couldn't pay me to wear. Obviously she was a noble of some sort.

The fifth picture made me pause again. It was of a young child, maybe a toddler, sitting amongst a throng of goblins. If you looked closely enough you could see that all of the goblins were carrying a weapon of some sort, and through the window behind them was the Labyrinth, looking impossible as ever to defeat. The child's face was contorted with fear, and his eyes looked haunted. I shuddered. The reference was obvious here.

Sixth was of ... _no!_

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A/N: Yay third person! I have so missed writing in third person! ::hugs third person:: Yeh okay moving on. Deep breath now. This is why I changed the genre out of humor - I realized I couldn't be funny on command. ::sweatdrop:: Hope I don't loose any readers. Okay you can guess who or what you think the sixth portrait is of. In your REVIEWS. ::pointed look::

After I get three reviews on this chapter I will update. That usually takes around three days.

Thanks so MUCH to my reviewers, who are the only reason that I keep writing: **Mab, Queen of Faerie. **You have reviewed every chapter! Thank you! **sych77**, thanks for your enthusiastic review. I hope this was a quick enough update for you ;) **Draco's Daughter**, I'm glad you like it. Say hi to Pan for me ;) thank you for your review!


	5. A Seventh Portrait

A/N: Ah hell, I almost forgot the disclaimer... again. Who reads these things anyway? All right, I don't own Labyrinth, I don't own Jareth, and I don't own the Henson Dynasty. Happy now? (Thank goodness for QuickEdit.)

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It was an exact replica of my school picture. "What the hell!" I yelled, gaping at it. Of course, this year, I had gym third period, and of course, that was just before my grade had been called to the cafeteria to take pictures. It hadn't helped that I'd forgotten it had even _been _picture day.

My hair was frizzy. It looked like I'd stuck a pyramid of hair on my head and chopped off the top to make a set of bangs. That day I had put on an old, comfortable, State University t-shirt, one that wouldn't be constricting after getting back from a PE class spent on the track. The artist had gone so far as to add the rip in the collar and the toothpaste stain near the bottom.

Now I was really angry. Jareth had obviously commissioned this painting just to piss me off. "Well it worked!" I yelled at the ceiling. That was a humiliating depiction of me. "You complete jerk! Just for that I'm gonna beat the crap out of you when I get to the castle!" I screamed. He had better be able to hear that.

Fuming, I pivoted and stalked through a circle of furniture, nearly missing sight of a seventh portrait that somehow I hadn't spotted before. The frame was shining in the light of the other candles, and as I walked closer, the candle underneath it lit up.

Now I could look properly at it, and I did. For a moment I couldn't believe what I was looking at. I had to do a double-take. The content was just that shocking. I looked at it dumbly for several moments before it slowly started to sink in.

I stared at the painting in horror. I could feel my flesh began to creep. This was just too creepy. I stumbled backwards and landed, thankfully, in a very conveniently placed chair. My bare arms had goosebumps all over them. I shuddered and took in the portrait again.

The artist had painstakingly painted the figure in front of a full wine rack. Whoever it was had even gone so far as to label the bottles of wine, though they were in a language I couldn't read. There was a black stand next to the figure that held three candles. The man was wearing a long, dark, red coat over a formal white shirt and dark red breeches. In one hand he held a wine glass. The other hand was stuck in his pants pocket.

Sticking over the rim of the pocket was one end of a scroll. Instead of wood, though, the knob looked as if it were made of gold. There was a ruby embedded in it. Slowly, my eyes traveled away from the scroll and up to the man's face.

He was smiling, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. He looked happy. Happier than I had ever seen him, anyway. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Seth had never smiled like that for me, but he had for this artist. This was too weird. I curled up into a ball, letting the pocket watch drop to the floor.

Why was a portrait of Seth in this place? What was there to this man that I didn't know? Him being _real, _that I had been able to handle, after I'd decided not to think about it too much, but why the hell was there a picture of him here?

I glanced behind me at the watch painting. The hands had moved. I looked down at the floor and saw they matched the position of my own watch's hands. If that painting showed something that was actually happening, then was the one in front of me the same?

But it couldn't be! Jareth wouldn't be treating his prisoner to a nice wine-and-dine treat, would he? Still... earlier, he had seemed overly familiar with my Muse. Ew. I made a face. Was Seth gay? I had some friends who were gay, I was fine with people being gay, but Jareth and _Seth? _Seth had always seemed kind of like a womanizer.

Maybe he was a woman. Only dressed up.

Ew.

That was a really disturbing mental image. If Seth was really Sethrida then I wasn't so sure he'd... she'd... even want to leave this place. How much was there that I didn't know about my Muse?

Well, he.. she... always said, "You have a lot to learn about Muses." I looked woefully back up at the portrait. Apparently I had more to learn that I'd previously thought.

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Seth was having a fit. "Jareth!" he roared, throwing his wine glass onto the floor. The Goblin King winced when he saw it shatter. "You keep breaking my things, Seth," he murmured.

"I don't _care!"_ Seth yelled. "Why the _hell _is that painting of me still up?" It had been horrible enough to see the one of Lady Rachelle, but his own was just too much. "And why did you leave it where Kar could see it?" He glared angrily at the crystal spinning in Jareth's hand. Inside was a picture of Karleigh sitting in the portrait gallery.

The Muse was furious. He, unlike Jareth, had confidence that Karleigh could solve the Labyrinth. Unfortunately after seeing that painting he was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she finally did. Explaining that Seth really did not want to do. "Damn it, Jareth," he muttered, slumping back into his chair.

"I like that painting," Jareth protested. Seth rolled his eyes. "She probably thinks it's really happening, since you have that watch one in there, you idiot," he muttered.

Jareth snorted and threw a leg over the arm of his throne. "Paintings that follow time are expensive, my friend. Their subject matter also has to be fairly simple. Having one done of you or any other person would cost a fortune, and it would take a staggering amount of magic."

Seth shifted his weigh uncomfortably. "Like Kar knows that," he sighed. After a second's thought, he added, "Why is there a picture of Lady Rachelle in there?"

Jareth smirked. "That was there to keep you happy. You would get so heartsick for her whenever you visited, don't you remember?" he asked, his smirk growing wider when Seth blushed. "I can't stand to see you depressed, Seth," Jareth added, quite unexpectedly. Seth stared at him questioningly. He couldn't remember Jareth ever using such a sincere tone before.

"I hate that room," Seth finally said. "You just used it to show off, anyway." He recalled memories of meetings with other royals from other kingdoms being held in the gallery. Jareth had always used the pictures to explain what the Labyrinth was for, as if the royals were too stupid to learn anything without a visual demonstration. _Though some of them really needed it, _Seth remembered.

The two men watched Karleigh stare in shock at the painting for another moment. "Why won't she say something?" Seth whispered anxiously. Jareth raised an eyebrow. "You want to hear her thoughts, then?" he asked. Seth shot him a miserable glare and turned away. Jareth sighed and stood up.

He tossed the crystal at Seth, who caught it after a brief moment's hesitation. To his surprise it did not burst. He looked questioningly at Jareth. The King only began to walk out of the throne room, riding crop firmly clenched in his right hand. "Where are you going?" Seth asked.

As he reached the doorway Jareth sighed, exasperated, and turned his head over his shoulder. "I'm going to write that letter," he said. "Your despair is getting to me," he added in a condescending tone, a small smile on his face. He did enjoy teasing his old friend. However when this did not provoke a response from Seth, he sighed again and left the room.

Seth looked back at the crystal. Karleigh had moved away from the painting and was walking around the wall. Seth frowned. She was running her hand up and down the wall. What the heck did she think she was doing?

- - - "There has to be a door in here somewhere!" - - -

The words passed from Karleigh's mouth, through the crystal sphere, straight into Seth's brain. As soon as he registered them he perked up. At least she wasn't so in shock from the picture that she couldn't try and find a way out of there. If only there was some way he could help her, though! Sitting in the castle doing nothing was so frustrating! Not that he would know where to begin, though.

It'd been so long since he had been in the gallery that he had completely forgotten where the door was. Still, it shouldn't be that hard to find, right? Seth desperately racked his brain for some memory of where Jareth kept the exit to that room. Wait. "Why doesn't she just come back the way she came?" Seth wondered aloud.

Karleigh seemed to have heard, on some scale, his pondering. She walked back over to where the door she'd entered through had been, only to find that it was gone. She let out a cry of dismay that made Seth throw the crystal across the room.

"Damn you, Jareth," he muttered. Then he looked down at the floor and sighed. Once he'd seen Karleigh's wretched fascination with that movie, he should have begun telling her about the Labyrinth. He could have pretended it was inspiration for her fanfic. She didn't have to think it was real. At least that way she would have had some knowledge of the Labyrinth's inner workings. If he had only talked with her about it more, then she'd have a much greater chance of solving it.

It just wasn't fair. Why did he always have to be such an idiot? Why did he always have to be so nearsighted? Before this had cost him his powers, his friends, family, and his lover. Now he was going to lose the one person he cared about that still had feelings for him in return.

He sighed again and strode out of the room, in the direction that Jareth had disappeared in. "And damn me too," he hissed.

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Author's Note: Well, that line seems vaguely familiar, doesn't it? After he cursed Jareth I remembered it, though, and I had to put it in. Anyway. The reviews came in quicker than I'd expected. And if you're still confused, don't worry, Lady Rachelle will be here soon to explain everything. She was here in this chapter, actually, but it was just getting too long.

Like last time, three reviews unlocks the ability to post the next chapter. As soon as I'm done writing it... which will be fairly soon.

Thank you to the people who reviewed: **Mab, Queen of Faerie**, I'm so glad you care! ;) **Draco's Daughter**, was this a quick enough update for you? Haha ... anyway. **BlueyChan**, and I'm sure your muse wants you to write about him/her/it also. Ha thanks for reviewing. **Princess-RainbowRose**, ah! You seem so confused! I'm sorry. It'll be explained soon I promise.


	6. A Sixth Chapter

I couldn't think of a title for this chapter... if you can, after reading it, include it in your review please!

Disclaimer: Okay I don't own Labyrinth, like you didn't know that already. I don't own McDonalds, and just for kicks, I'll let you in on a secret: I don't own you, either! _Free will for all!_

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Seth sat slumped over a desk. Jareth stood just behind him. Seth was looking glumly at the letter that Jareth had drawn up to send to the High Court. While excited at the prospect of getting back his powers, there was one glitch in Jareth's plan that he really did not cotton to.

If he got his powers back he was to agree never to speak to Karleigh again. She would be sent home without question and her memory of him and the Labyrinth would be erased. That was Jareth's touch, though, not the law's. "Change that," Seth ordered, pointing to the paragraph that stated all of that, "and I'll sign."

Jareth sighed. "You haven't read the second page apparently," he said. He turned the letter over and pointed halfway down the piece of paper. In the middle of a mess of handwriting, was the name of the person Seth would be bound to if and when he got his powers back.

"No!" Seth yelled, jumping up from the desk. "No way in _hell _am I working for that woman! She was the one who turned me over for stealing that stupid spell!" An edge of bitterness accompanied his shouts.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "You used to be in love with her," he pointed out.

Seth spun and landed a punch in Jareth's jaw. The Goblin King stumbled backwards, shocked at the sudden assault. He managed to catch himself on the edge of a chair before falling onto the floor, however, which was lucky for Seth. Otherwise he would've been even angrier.

Furious, Jareth conjured a crystal and threw it at Seth. The man barely had time to duck before it hit the wall and shattered, a mass of blue light shining out from the shards of glass before they fell to the floor. Seth shuddered and stood back up, walking away from the mess. "That could've killed me!" he hissed.

Jareth ran a gloved hand over his jaw, where a bruise was already beginning to form. "You should not attack someone who is trying to do you a favor, Seth," he hissed. This kind of insolence was not tolerated in the Labyrinth!

The Muse snorted. "We used to fight all the time. Ever since we were kids," he said. "You've grown soft, Jareth," he added, straightening his back. "A year ago you would've dodged that punch." He rubbed his hand and thought, _A year ago my knuckles wouldn't hurt after it, either._

Sighing, Jareth collapsed into a chair. "Just tell me why you are being so damned stubborn about this."

Seth considered that for a moment. He had several reasons not to want to sign that contract, and he didn't think he was being stubborn, either. "You have no idea why she really pulled me up before the High Court, do you?" he asked, figuring Jareth would realize he was talking about Lady Rachelle.

Jareth thought otherwise. He waved his hand vaguely and repeated the story he knew all too well, "She figured out that you were using your lock picking hobby to steal highly guarded information from various nobles and royals, for political reasons. So she dug around until she had evidence and had you prosecuted."

Taking a deep breath, he moved onto the punishment the High Court had exacted. "You were declared guilty, and the jury sentenced you to have your Fae powers revoked. A human girl was found for you, your eyes were disguised, and you were sent to Aboveground to be her Muse."

While this was a favorite punishment of the High Court's, it was unheard of to be involved in a theft case. Everyone in Underground had been shocked at the verdict. Being banished to Aboveground to serve a human was a harsh punishment. It only happened to murderers!

A mocking grin spread across Seth's face. "But you don't know why she came into court that last day and yelled for the death penalty," he said. Jareth raised an eyebrow and countered, "Everyone knows she was drunk."

That was a good point, but Seth had more to say. "Hmm... she was angry with me because I slept with someone besides her," he shrugged, and ran an hand absentmindedly through his hair, recalling the painful trial. "Since she was the reason the whole trial started, I figured things were over between us. She had no right to be angry about me having another woman in my bed."

"Luckily for you the jury didn't listen to that rant," Jareth said. "That's a popular punishment for the gorier crimes, though." He paused, contemplating, trying to remember the name of another Fae that had received it. "Oh, hell," he said, suddenly remembering the Terrible Trio.

Seth seemed to remember them as well. He smirked. The Terrible Trio, most formerly known as Gabriel, Seamus, and Gideon, had commanded the Fae equivalent of Aboveground's mafia. Over two hundred people had died at their hands. For their crimes, the High Court had made them into Muses. "Unfortunately for you," Seth said, looking at Jareth, "they remembered very well what happened with Sarah Williams came here."

Jareth groaned. "Why did they get assigned to three people who had the power to make a movie? What motivated the jury to pick Brian Froud, Jim Henson, and George Lucas as the three humans they'd be Muses to?" Over six billion people on the planet and those three were chosen.

There was a rustling noise in the corner of the room. "Hello, boys," a female voice drawled. Jareth turned to face the newcomer, while trying to hide his shock at her sudden entrance. Seth stiffened and walked over to the window, focusing his gaze at a random point within the Labyrinth. He half hoped to catch a glimpse of Karleigh.

The woman was wearing a strapless blue gown that matched the color of left eye. The right eye was purple. She had a blue scarf entwined around her arms. A few loose wisps of black hair fell on her neck. The rest of her hair was done up on top of her head. "Having fun?" she asked, walking over to Jareth and pressing a blue nail to his jaw where a bruise was beginning to form. "Poor baby," she murmured, clicking her tongue. "Did my Seth hurt you?"

"Lady Rachelle," Jareth said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "Looking as color-coordinated as you always do, my lovely." Even her perfume made him think of the color blue. He noticed then that there was a small amount of blue glitter sprinkled on her pale skin and realized that now it was probably on his lips. _Damn, _he cursed silently. As if Seth didn't already tease him for looking like a woman.

Lady Rachelle smiled. She bent down and kissed Jareth's collar, deliberately leaving a smudge of navy lipstick to mar it's stark whiteness. "Did he sign?" she asked quietly, eyes darting over to where Seth stood.

With a quick glance at his old childhood friend, Jareth replied, "No. He does not agree with the terms of the contract." _Not surprising really, _he thought idly, _considering his fondness for that human. _And if Jareth knew anything, it was what fondness for a human girl could do to a Fae.

That got him started thinking about Sarah and the movie again. The Goblin King always made a big show about hating the movie. But that was just a cover, really. The movie was one of his favorites and he adored the throngs of fans it had spawned.

Most of all, he enjoyed reading the fanfiction about himself. It was an excuse to get a computer at least. Also, many of them were highly entertaining. Though some of the authors seemed to have a peculiar and disturbing fascination with his pants.... "Jareth? Are you listening to me?" Lady Rachelle asked. Jareth snapped back into the present.

"Yes," he lied, smiling brightly.

She frowned at him, not believing it. Following in the footsteps of women everywhere, she asked, "What did I just say?"

After considering the principles of right and wrong, the consequences of fact and fiction, Jareth changed the subject. "Why don't you go and talk to Seth, hmm?" he asked.

Fortunately for Jareth, Lady Rachelle wanted to do just that.

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- - - End of Chapter - - -

Kerist: Well so Seth is a Fae! Gasp! He got banished cause he used his Fae powers for evil.. stupid Seth. But other Fae have done the same thing - and now they're being forced to be Muses for humans. (Fae are like humans, only immortal, and with magic powers, essentially)

And, okay, Lady Rachelle didn't exactly explain everything. But she did in the first version of the chapter! However her explanation was really long and it confused even me so I figured I had better rewrite it.... again.... and.... again....

Seth: Excuse her, she's being distracted by the _extremely loud_ music she's listening to.

Kerist: It's not that loud! ::fume:: Anyway, moving on....

Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I have more reviews than I can count! Well... that's a lie. But there's more than I thought I'd get when I started this story. Yay!

Mab, Queen of Faerie, she really likes the color blue. Anyway, thanks for your faithful reviewing! **BlueyChan**, Yay I love that face you had at the end of your review! er yes ::cough:: distracted. Thanks for your review! **Draco's Daughter**, aw. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up to him eventually. ::smile:: Thank you for your review! **sych77**, Sethrida is an actual name! That amused me. Don't worry about taking a while to review! (I can't write that fast anyway.) Thank you for reviewing! **Princess-RainbowRose**, the pairing is decided, but the person Seth ends up with has some competition. Not naming any names here... hehe thanks for your review!

Next chapter will have Karleigh in it... promise. She was in this one but it was just getting too long!


	7. Meddling Lady

Lady Rachelle walked over to the window, where Seth was still standing. He stared fixedly out at the Labyrinth as she raised her hands and put them on his shoulders. "Seth," she murmured, kissing the back of his neck. He didn't respond. She started massaging his shoulders. "Hrow are you?"

"Alive," he said simply. "No thanks to you, I might add." He couldn't forget how she had actually requested the jury to consider the death penalty.

She kissed his neck again. "Forgive and forget," she murmured, kneading his shoulders. He didn't say anything. "Has that human bitch been good to you?" she inquired, pressing herself up against his back. After he had left she'd realized having him banished had been a bad idea...

Seth pivoted and grabbed Rachelle by the waist, easily lifting her so that they were eye to eye. Rachelle smiled at him, noting happily that his eyes had changed back to how they were supposed to be. "She hasn't been, has she?" she asked. "You're so tense..."

"Maybe that's because Karleigh is out in that Labyrinth, quite possibly fighting for her life!" Seth hissed, his grip on Rachelle tightening. "Unlike you I _worry _about the people I care for!" He dropped her unceremoniously and returned his gaze to the Labyrinth, frustrated. "Never call her a bitch again, Rachelle," he warned her, voice low. "Or I won't be responsible for my actions."

Wisely, the Lady took a step back and did not try cuddling up to him again. Jareth watched the two, amused. He hadn't realized how much Seth cared about Karleigh until now, if he was willing to threaten Rachelle.

Rachelle huffed. "Such a temper!" she murmured, adjusting the bodice of her gown. "This is why I reported you, Seth! If you had only returned the spell to Jareth..." tears began to well up in her eyes. "If you had only listened to me, I wouldn't have had to tell the Court! You would still have your powers, and you wouldn't be a Muse to some human bitch! You'd still be a proper Fae!"

Even without his powers, Seth was a formidable fighter. _Lady Rachelle should have remembered that_, he thought, spinning around again and punching her as hard as he could. He may have broken her jaw but he didn't really care. "I told you not to refer to Karleigh as a bitch," he said calmly, stepping over Rachelle's fallen form.

Jareth raised an eyebrow as Seth passed him. Rachelle was trying to regain her composure. No man had ever raised a hand to her before. The thought was ludicrous. "You ... you bastard!" she whispered as Seth exited the room.

"He did warn you," Jareth said.

Rachelle struggled to sit up. "That... that Karleigh did this to him..." she hissed. "She poisoned him! My Seth!"

Not really your Seth, my Lady, Jareth thought. _You did essentially attempt to kill him, after all. Did you expect a rosy 'I'm so glad to see you'?_ "I don't believe he's going to sign that contract," Jareth said. "Not if he has to work for you."

Slowly standing, Rachelle angrily began to smooth out her dress. "He will if Karleigh doesn't make it," she said, giving Jareth a hard stare. "Surely there's some way you can... distract her..." she curled a lock of hair around her finger.

"No," Jareth said bluntly. "She still has twelve and a half days to get here." _Though she will have to eat eventually, _he knew. And when that happened, who knew what kind of effect the food would have on her. It would be so saturated with Underground magic it could even kill her.

Rachelle knew there was a way she could convince Jareth to break the rules for Karleigh. It wouldn't be that hard, really, not for her. She stepped forward and smiled at him. "There are loopholes that would allow you to..." she began.

Jareth looked at his wrist and pretended that he wore a watch. "Look at the time!" he said, with mock amazement. "Must be going now." He turned around and left the room, taking care to shut the door behind him.

For a few moments Lady Rachelle stood alone in the middle of the room. She wanted Seth back more than anything, and she was convinced that if Karleigh was out of the way, he would come to her. If Jareth wouldn't distract the mortal, then she'd just have to bypass him. Her magic was surely strong enough for one little human girl.

Rachelle waved her hand and a silver snake appeared in it. Light glinted off it's emerald eyes. _Karleigh will never see Seth again, _she thought, twirling the snake around her fingers.

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The door of the gallery had turned out to be behind Jareth's portrait, of all places. After tripping I had happened to grab onto the candlestick underneath it and when I did, the painting swung open, revealing a secret staircase leading upwards. It was entirely unoriginal and I was kind of disappointed in Jareth's lack of creativity.

However it was an excuse to sing the Scooby-Doo theme song. "Come on Scooby-Doo, I see you, pretending you got a sliver," I sang for the third time. It was a short song and the staircase went on for a while. It fit really well to the location of the passageway, though. The hiding place had been used in several episodes of the cartoon.

Of course there was no light in there, which bothered me just a bit. I couldn't see if there was someone waiting at the top with an axe or anything. That would not be a good thing. Trying to make sure I didn't get my head cut off, I stuck my hands out in front of me and waited for them to hit cold metal.

"But you're not fooling me, cause I can see the way you shake and shiver!" Right now I felt more like Shaggy than I wanted to, cowardly and afraid. Where was my brave, gallant Fred when I needed him? _You wished him away to Jareth's castle, _a little treacherous voice in the back of my mind whispered. I quickly pushed it away. Thinking like that would get me nowhere.

If only it wasn't so dark! Any moment now I would probably trip and break my nose on the stairs or go tumbling back down into the gallery. If that happened not only would I bruise on the stairs but I'd crack a rib or two falling from the portrait from the floor, a drop of about four feet. I winced at the very thought.

"I find your singing rather painful as well," Jareth whispered in my ear. I screamed and jumped about ten feet in the air before tumbling back into his awaiting grasp. He clutched me to his chest as I tried to catch my breath. That jerk! How dare he sneak up on me!

"What the hell was that for?" I demanded, attempting to twist around to face him. It was still dark but I would feel a heck of a lot better if I was facing him. "You should know better than to scare people like that!" I hissed. He wasn't letting me turn around, and he wasn't loosening his grip. Why wouldn't he just let me go already? "Any particular reason for this embrace, Jareth?"

He blew on my neck, making me shudder. "You seem to be enjoying it," he murmured. One of his hands was placed on my hip and the other on my shoulder. If the Goblin King had been someone else I might have found the situation comfortable.

Someone like Seth? a little voice in the back of my head asked. I fought to ignore it. The thought was ridiculous, surely. "Well, I'm not," I mumbled, furiously embarrassed by the mental whisper. I had to stay focused on the situation at hand. Doing otherwise would be very dangerous, especially considering my current position.

Jareth gently began rubbing my shoulder. The effect was unnerving, and I suddenly had no idea of what to do or say to him. Why was he doing this? "Give up, Karleigh. Seth will be perfectly happy without you." He bent down and whispered in my ear, "He _wants _you to give up, Karleigh."

I froze. At first I felt shocked. That couldn't be right. Jareth had to be lying. Seth couldn't really want me to give up, could he? Then, slowly, it began to sink in. We had never really gotten along, and Jareth seemed to know him, anyway. He really might be happier staying here. My chin sank to rest against my chest. Jareth said I should give up, so maybe... no.

What should I care about Seth's happiness? Who cared about that stupid Muse? I could come up with good ideas on my own - I didn't need him! I wouldn't solve the Labyrinth to rescue him, I would do it to spite Jareth, and to prove to myself that I could indeed accomplish great things. And I would solve it, I had over twelve days left! I resisted the urge to laugh. Jareth was such a fool to give me that much time!

A small smile crept onto my face. "I'm not giving up," I said, my voice calm and confident. Jareth made a small noise in the back of his throat and let me go. Smirking, I bounded up the stairs, not caring that it was dark any more.

And at the top, I found ...

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"Damn it!" Lady Rachelle ran a hand through the wild mass of blonde hair now on top of her head. She was fuming. "Why didn't it work?" She stared, dumfounded, up the stairs in the direction Karleigh had run. Hadn't she acted enough like Jareth to fool her? Magic had given her his body, voice, and wardrobe.

She sighed and began walking up the stairs. This was much easier in pants than a skirt, she observed. Men definitely had the better deal there. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how Jareth got his hair to stay like this! Did he use some sort of gel? Using magic every day would exhaust him, wouldn't it? _Think about that later, _she chided herself, reaching the top of the stairs.

She pushed open the door and walked into the well-lit hallway. Columns decorated the sides, and Rachelle thought she saw a figure lurking behind one. After another moment's observation, she saw it again - the distinct figure of someone bent down behind a column. Laughing softly to herself, she walked across the floor to where it was bent down, and swiftly grabbed it's collar.

"Karleigh," she said, Jareth's voice still sounding unfamiliar. The thing in her hand came out from behind the column's shadow. Rachelle immediately blanched. "Oh, it's just you," she muttered, letting go of the goblin. She wiped a hand on her pant leg and absentmindedly kicked the cowering creature. "Where did the human girl go?" she demanded.

The goblin pointed to a door at the very end of the hallway. "In there, Your Majesty," he said, giving Rachelle a deep bow. She preened. Being Jareth had it's perks, all right. It was worth looking down and seeing his body. She walked forward, carrying her head high, and dramatically flung the door open.

After a second's appraisal Rachelle let out a short, dry laugh. _How typical of Jareth_, she thought, stepping inside.

The goblin scurried in the opposite direction as she stepped into the room beyond and shut the door behind her, sure that he had just upset his King. Perhaps it was best that Karleigh had chosen that door to venture beyond. Everyone knew that Jareth loved the Hall of Mirrors, maybe seeing his image reflected hundreds of times would calm him down.

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Author's Note: School starts up again soon. ::cries:: They can't make me go!!!!! Actually... they can. Truant officers and such. Sigh. Anyway, much fun awaits in the Hall of Mirrors, or at least I hope it does. I'll update as soon as I can.

Thanks to my reviewers: **Mab, Queen of Faerie**, I hope Rachelle was sufficiently evil for you. Hehe thanks for your review! **BlueyChan**, I preferred his voice as well, but a lot of people do talk about his pants for unnecessary amounts of time. Thanks for reviewing! **sych77**, Thank you for your compliment and suggestion. (Sethrida is Hebrew... so I guess ancient people used it) Thanks for reviewing! :) **Princess-RainbowRose**, This one was longer. And you never know when you're going to get your couple.. I still don't know how Kar is going to react to Seth's past yet. Thank you for reviewing! **Draco's Daughter**, Hehe I love Jareth torture too. Yay Pan! :D Thank you for your review!


	8. Manipulation

Author's Note: Hehe this took a while to get out. Sorry about that! Okay the good news is that I got nice teachers! (at least according to , which incidentally, I don't own) The bad news is that I have to go to school on Monday. AT SEVEN AM. THAT WOULD BE IN THE MORNING, PEOPLE. WHEN IT IS STILL DARK. College classes don't even start this early! ::grumble::

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Mirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors. I held my hands out in front of me to keep from bashing into them. This was almost as bad as the darkened staircase. Even the ceiling and the _floor _had mirrors on them! "This is ridiculous," I muttered, shortly before banging into another mirror. Growling, I rubbed my wrist. Take back my earlier statement. This was _worse_ than the staircase!

There was almost no way to tell where there was a mirror and where there wasn't! Damn it! Where was Hoggle when I really needed him? That stupid little dwarf had probably gone back to the beginning already. Who knew how long it had been since I'd last seen him.

Oh wait. I did. Pocket watch, remember? I pulled it out of my pocket and flipped open the cover. Immediately I groaned. I'd already been in the Labyrinth for nine hours! How could this possibly be? Agh I needed to keep moving, I was never going to get to the center at this rate. Now if I could only stop bumping into mirrors...

What was that myth about mirrors? No, not the seven years bad luck thing. I never believed in that anyway. Just to prove it to the world at large I kicked a mirror, which promptly gave the glass a spider web effect. I smirked at it. The placement of the cracks looked so pretty.. aw surely it wouldn't hurt to take a piece? From near the center, of course.

Shard placed in my pocket in way so as not to cut me, I proceeded on. Slowly I started to make my way down a path. But if this was anything else like the rest of the Labyrinth, there could have been dozens of paths that I missed taking. That would be so like Jareth, making this already difficult to navigate place into a maze.

What was that damned myth again? Or maybe it wasn't a myth... maybe it was an urban legend. The Candyman? No. Although that was one, it wasn't the one I was thinking of. Plus that really wasn't a legend anyway, having been started by a movie.

I paused and looked at myself in a mirror. I could think of one other 'fictional' person that, this morning, I thought had been started by a movie. And if he was real, that meant the Candyman... ah dangit. Vowing not to even _think _that name again I plowed on ahead, bashing into several mirrors and creating a few more cracks as I did so.

One thing the mirrors did that I really hated was magnify the cuts on my legs. They had not healed since getting away from the bushes, and there was a _humongous _bruise where the rock had pinned me down. It was horrifically ugly. I made a face in the nearest mirror and turned left. At least the gouges had stopped bleeding, and I wasn't bloody anymore.

Wait. I stumbled and my dirty sneakers made scuff marks on the mirrored floor. Too bad for Jareth. That was what you got from putting mirrors where people walked. Now back to my epiphany. Blood. Mirrors. The two connect in...

"Bloody Mary!" I yelled. That was the thing I'd been thinking of. What were the exact terms of the legend again? Were you supposed to yell her name three or thirteen times? Well, if it was three and I went for thirteen, I suppose that I'd find out. But what if she tried to kill me? "Bloody Mary," I said, walking forward. One more.... not that I _had _to say it. She might scratch my face off or something.

There was a crash behind me and I turned to see Jareth sprawled out, face down on the floor. I started laughing. The man couldn't even get through his own Hall of Mirrors! He was such a complete spaz! Nevermind the fact that I had done the same thing. After all, this was his kingdom, right? So logically he should be able to find his way around it.

Scowling, he stood up and smoothed out his clothes. My laughter started to quiet, somehow that didn't seem like a Jareth thing to do. _Listen to me - acting as if I know the man! _I quickly dismissed the odd suspicion. When he was done adjusting his outfit, he smiled at me and clamped his hands behind his back. "What were you just doing, Karleigh?"

That didn't sound like something Jareth would say. So far he had interrupted me always with a 'witty' remark and well... his speech was just not structured like that. I gave an uneasy giggle and shrugged, letting, "Bloody Mary," escape my lips. As soon as it did I smacked myself in the forehead and spun around, waiting for some mysterious - and presumably bloody - female figure to appear. But nothing happened.

A smirk played across Jareth's face. "I believe the lights have to be out," he said. Now that sounded more like the Jareth I was used to talking with. He waved a hand and the Hall of Mirrors was plunged into darkness.

__

The Goblin King has an obsession with cornering me in pitch black places, I thought, nervously listening for the clack of his boots approaching me. _He'd make a good serial killer. _"Turn the lights back on!" I called, crossing my fingers that this plea would work. I could picture him still sneering at me.

Out of the darkness came a familiar voice with a British accent, "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," it chanted, each time sounding as if coming from another place. Sweat appeared on my forehead and I quickly wiped it away. The legend wasn't true, surely, but I still had Jareth to fear. Mary, whoever she was, posed no threat to me. "Bloody Mary," he whispered. It sounded close and I lashed out, hoping to grab onto his shirt or cloak.

But the fabric I grasped in my hands didn't feel like Lycra, spandex, or chiffon (the things I suspected him to wear). What it felt like was cotton, slick with something warm and wet. I screamed and jerked my hand away. It felt like blood.

Immediately I pivoted and scrambled forward, not caring if I crashed into anything. Whatever the thing I had touched was, it was dangerous, Bloody Mary or not. And it was following me, I could hear the breathing as I slid down a dip in the path. When I hit the bottom I started forward again, only to twist my ankle.

The breathing grew louder.

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"Bloody Mary!" Karleigh yelled, giving her position away. Rachelle, still in her Jareth guise, ran her tongue over her pointed canines and walked in the direction of the voice. This was too easy. Once she caught up with the girl, she would get her to eat something. She'd been in the Labyrinth long enough to be starving, and it wouldn't take a very sophisticated trick to get some food down her throat. "Bloody Mary," she said again, quieter this time.

Purposefully, Rachelle walked with her head held high, Jareth's hairdo almost stroking the ceiling. She wrinkled her nose as she rounded a corner. If Jareth didn't use this place for psychologically torturing his challengers and prisoners, Rachelle could think of one thing a man with Jareth's ego would like to do here, and that was...

__

Fuck! she cursed mentally, tripping over the toe of her boot. _How does do men walk in these things? _She longed for her own high heels. Scowling, she stood up and began to brush off her clothes. It was then that she caught sight of Karleigh, laughing her head off. Lady Rachelle smiled and put her hands behind her back, ready to conjure a piece of food. "What were you just doing, Karleigh?" she asked.

At first Karleigh seemed to be unsure, but then she laughed and said simply, "Bloody Mary." Rachelle cherished the look of panic that crossed the mortal's face after she said this. _If only the girl looked like that always, _she mused, smirking. A new plan began formulating in her mind.

This was a legend Rachelle remembered from her childhood. It was older than Karleigh had presumed. "I believe the lights have to be out," she said, waving one of her hands. All of the lights in the Hall of Mirrors immediately extinguished. Now the place was immersed in darkness. Of course, being a Fay, Lady Rachelle could see perfectly.

She could see the terrified look that Karleigh got, and relished in it. This was proving to be more fun than she had originally planned. "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," she chanted, walking erratically towards Karleigh. Rachelle twirled a silver snake around her fingers, which produced a coating of blood. Passing the snake over her shirt gave the same effect. "Bloody Mary," she whispered, dangerously close to Karleigh.

When the younger woman felt the blood on Rachelle's shirt, she panicked and began running in the opposite direction. This was the exactly what Rachelle had hoped would happen. Karleigh was running right into her little trap, and soon it would be too late for her.

Rachelle delicately placed the snake on the floor. It slithered in the direction that Karleigh's hurried footsteps could be heard, and Rachelle waved her hand again. The snake changed form, but kept on towards the terrified mortal.

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Keep on running, Karleigh. Rachelle thought. _Keep running._

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I grabbed my ankle and massaged it, while at the same time trying to move forward. Now I could hear the approach of the... thing... even better. My heart was pounding and my forehead was covered in sweat. I was scared out of my mind.

Then I thought, _This is what that bastard wants! _Jareth was deliberately trying to frighten me, and I was letting him get away with that. I scowled and turned around, standing straight to face whatever it was that was coming after me.

This was either brave, or very stupid.

"Turn the lights back on Jareth," I yelled, trying to make my voice sound more confident than I felt. "I'm not playing your mind games! I won't let you scare me!" The sound of the creature only grew nearer. It was at the top of the incline now. Swallowing hard, I clenched my fists by my sides and shouted, "Do you hear me? I said _you don't scare me!"_

Light flooded the Hall of Mirrors. I winced at the sudden intensity of it and covered my face. That had been remarkably effective, though now I was blind. I rubbed my eyes and slowly they adjusted to the light. Looking up the sloped path to see the creature that had been following me, I gasped in surprise.

"Hoggle!" I said, surprise showing on my face. The dwarf had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, but I was glad that he had arrived.

There was a concerned expression on his face. "What did Jareth do this time?" he asked, walking down the slope. "I came lookin for you and the lights just went out!"

Extremely relieved, I patted Hoggle's shoulder. Forget about him abandoning me before, at least now I knew there hadn't really been a vengeful spirit out to kill me. "That was Jareth trying to scare me," I said, grinning. "But it didn't work." Okay it worked for a little bit. But I got over that so it didn't count. Right.

Hoggle nodded and started forward, looking determined. "I knews you were a brave one," he said, running a hand along the mirrors. Faithfully I followed him. Finally there was a chance I would make some real progress, and get out of these stupid run-arounds. "When I saws you entering the Labyrinth, lookin so determined and all, I said to myself, 'There's a brave one!'"

I slowed down. Frowning, I stared at Hoggle's back. That was an odd thing to think, considering I entered the Labyrinth, it was in a cascade of falling rocks. If I had been him, I would've thought, 'There's an idiot!' What was up with him? And since when was he so nice, complimenting me like this?

"Hoggle," I asked, suspiciously, "do you still have that penny I gave you?"

"Of course," Hoggle said. He fumbled around in his pockets and a few moments later produced a penny. He handed it to me and I stuck it into my shorts, all the while growing extremely worried. He paused and started pushing on a mirror, "This is a door out," he said. "Help."

Reluctantly, I went to his side and began pushing on the mirror. It groaned and began to slide backwards, and the harder I pushed, the quicker it slid. Hoggle didn't seem to be helping at all, though he looked like he was pushing. Two copper coins clicked together in my back pocket.

__

Something is not right, I thought.

The floor dropped out from under us. Hoggle screamed more than I did. We plunged downwards together, and he held onto my leg for dear life. So much for being a wonderful guide.

As we fell further, I stretched out my hands, hoping to grab onto something. But the walls of the hole were slick, and we just fell further. I desperately tried to shake Hoggle off of my leg. _If he doesn't let go I'm going to -_

There was a sickening crack as we hit the floor. _Crush him when we land, _my brain finished, as I stood up and twirled around. "AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!"

Laying on the floor was a very dead Hoggle. "AAAAGGGH!!!!" I shrieked, stumbling backwards. Where my body had hit him was flat against the floor, and his glazed eyes stared up at me accusingly. "I killed Hoggle!" I yelled, covering my mouth in shock.

There was no way this was happening to me. I continued shrieking and almost missed the silver snake that slid out of Hoggle's opened mouth. It crawled towards me and hissed menacingly, then turned in the opposite direction and tried to slide up the wall.

I crept towards Hoggle and poked him. He wasn't warm. I frowned and kicked him, he rolled over easily, now his whole body looked flatter. Curious, I picked him up and felt a metal skeleton underneath his fabric skin. "AAAGGGHHH!!!" I yelled, only this time it was in frustration.

I'd killed a puppet. Or a Muppet, to be more exact. Thank you Jim Henson.

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Author's Note: Hehe, sorry about how long this took. I was having trouble with my fictionpress story (damned vampires) and was concentrating on that. And the title of this chapter comes from the three common motives of serial killers: Manipulation, Domination, and Control. (I know this from reading crime genre books) Thanks to my reviewers:

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BlueyChan, thanks for waiting ::sheepish grin:: sorry it took so long! Hehe I figured you liked that part ;) thanks for your review. **Draco's Daughter**, haha you got Pan good. Yes, Lady Rachelle is an interesting character. Hehe thanks for reviewing.

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Rae Street, ah another person hooked ::smirk:: that's my aim! Hope this chapter met your satisfaction. Thanks for the review! **FitsofRage**, yeh, the notion just occurred to me one day, considering most authors I know who talk about their Muses are Laby fans ... dun dun dun ::cough:: hehe thanks for your review.

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Fou Fou, I liked the rhyme! Hehe rhymes are funnier when they're unintentional. Thanks for reviewing! :) **Princess-RainbowRose**, believe me, you can keep trying (not sure whether that's much of a hint) but I'm beginning to believe there should be a pairing after all... ::grin:: Thanks for continually reviewing!

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Mab, Queen of Faerie, I was hoping that would happen. I was trying to make Rachelle evil but lovable ::coughs:: not to mention annoying to my friend Rochelle (no resemblance trust me) Thank you for all of your reviews! **Darth Moofin**, yay another addict. :) I wasn't sure if the summary would pull people in, but since this doesn't fit in with your normal obsessions, it's nice to know it worked! Thanks for reviewing ;)

::smiles at everyone:: Not sure when the next update will happen, dunno how much homework I'm gonna end up having. But I'll write whenever I can... I already have an idea for the next chapter.


	9. Domination

Author's Note: What the crap.. ARGH. It won't let me do my usual break between the sections! ::tries to find something else to use::

Anyway, sorry it took so long to update... school... and writer's block... (no thanks to a certain 'Muse')

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Jareth held the crystal at an angle, and sucked in a deep breath. With a flick of his wrist the crystal disappeared. Lady Rachelle was playing with Karleigh, not something he wished for Seth to learn. The Muse was pouring himself a drink across the room, and Jareth remembered all too well that Seth was an angry drunk. "You've already had enough wine, don't you think?" he inquired, turning around on his chair.

Smirking, Seth downed his entire glass and proceeded to pour another one. "How's my Kar doing?" he asked, speech just beginning to have a hint of slur to it. Jareth hesitated, which turned out to be a mistake. Seth glared at him, stalking across the room to lay his arm over the back of Jareth's chair. "Tell me you didn't respond because she's doing well, and that makes you unhappy," he ordered. "I swear, Jareth, if anything has happened to her, I'll drive this through your heart." After gulping down his newest batch of alcohol, Seth cracked the stem of the wine glass in half, and pressed the jagged edge against Jareth's chest.

Frowning, Jareth knocked the glass away. "Seth, that is the third thing of mine you've broken today." Not to mention the bruise on his jaw. Jareth ran a gloved finger over the mottled skin, thinking, _No amount of makeup is going to cover that. _He then caught himself, realizing what he had just thought. Seth would have a field day if he'd said that out loud.

Seth promptly stalked over to the crystal decanter. In one fluid motion he threw it at the wall, where it shattered and wine stained the wallpaper and carpet. "Fourth," he muttered, looking around for something else that was particularly fragile. His fingers were itching. Breaking things was fun, he decided.

This did not bode well for Jareth's wine rack in the corner. The Goblin King stood up and tried to reach the structure before Seth, but the Muse was feeling the full effects of his eight glasses of wine and got there first. Jareth took a few steps back. When Seth got angry, it was a simmering thing, and when it built up for too long, the man was extremely dangerous.

"Now now, Seth," Jareth murmured soothingly. Taking a moment to select the oldest and most expensive wine from the rack, proving that he still had some brain cells left, Seth smashed it against the wall. Though the effect was greater than the decanter, Seth was still not satisfied. "Karleigh is fine," Jareth lied anxiously. Seth took out another bottle. He stared at it for a moment before throwing it to the ground.

This wasn't working, he realized. Seeing the shards of glass everywhere wasn't making him feel better, and his white shirt was ruined, as well as his black pants. Damn, now he was thinking like Jareth. The clothes were replaceable. Unlike the aged wine which was soaking into them. He closed his eyes. What he really wanted was to _see_ that Karleigh was okay. "Let me see her," he ordered, surprising even himself with the calm manner of his voice. He sounded like nothing at all had just happened.

"You don't believe me?" Jareth asked. Seth returned a blank 'no duh' look. Reluctantly, Jareth conjured a crystal and handed it to him. This was not going to be pretty. Karleigh was still stuck in the bottom of the shaft, and the cuts on her legs were particularly visible. He took a few more steps back as Seth gazed into the crystal's depths. A livid look crossed his face. Jareth took a deep breath. "Now, Seth, I assure you I had no part in her current predicament," he said evenly.

Seth held up the crystal. "Really? Odd, considering that you are now speaking with her." His eyes flickered. "You also happen to have a hand on her hip. Mind explaining that?" The sight of someone else touching Karleigh was infuriating. Seth chalked it up to the fact that he was drunk. _I am not jealous, _he assured himself, pointedly ignoring the hot blush that was creeping over his body.

Confused and curious, Jareth peered into the crystal.

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There was no obvious way out of the well, or whatever this place was. _Naturally._ Scrounging around on my knees, trying fruitlessly to pull up a stone from the floor, or unlock a hidden passageway had left me with brand new bruises, too. Slithering around being no help at all was that damned silver snake.

Biting down hard on my tongue, I fumbled through my shorts for the pocket watch. My stomach ached like hell. If I didn't eat something soon I was sure I'd starve. But how safe was Labyrinthine food anyway? "Ah blast it," I muttered, turning out my pockets. The watch clattered nosily to the floor and slid away from me. Figures the floor would be slanted. Rolling my eyes, I took a step towards it.

The snake suddenly sat up at attention. Before I could act, it had slithered forward and twisted itself around the watch. With frightening ferocity, the snake started writhing around. When I tried to kick it off of the watch, it hissed and bared it's fangs at me. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. After a few more seconds of wild thrashing, the watch popped open. The snake wound around it. We stared at each other for a moment.

Then it pounced. Sinking it's fangs into the watch, the snake picked it up and started banging it against the ground. I shrieked. What the fuck did it think it was doing? "You stupid idiot!" I yelled, jumping at it. The scaly skin was cold and slick under my fingers. "Give that back!" My free hand clamped on to the watch and tried to pry it out of the snake's mouth. It kept whipping around, which made the task difficult. Not to mention that the feeling of that slithery coil under my hand was none too pleasant.

When I finally did manage to loosen the snake's grip, it reared back it's head and hissed menacingly. "Damned reptile," I muttered, raising my hand to throw it against the wall. Maybe it's little skull would break in. And if that didn't work I could always stomp on it. Repeatedly.

Distracted momentarily by that fantasy, my hand gave the snake some leeway and it fell onto the floor. As I screamed and lunged, it dove into the relative safety of the Muppet's empty husk. Furious, I grabbed the Hoggle-looking-thing and shook it as hard as I could. No snake fell out.

Seething, I threw the Muppet to the floor. If the snake wanted to hide than fine! I needed to check how long I'd been in there anyway. A few strands of hair fell in my face as I tilted the watch back and forth, trying to see past the cracks the snake had made in it. The light was making a glare on the glass, and it took a few moments.

My findings were not happy. I'd been in the Labyrinth for a full _twelve hours. _No wonder I had hunger pains! It'd been over half a day since I'd last eaten! "UGH!" This would never have happened if Hoggle hadn't abandoned me. If he had just stuck by the bet I would've had made a beeline for the center. Being on my own had definitely stunted my progress. The chances of me ever finding Seth were steadily growing smaller - who knew when I'd ever find my way out of this place! And then I'd probably end up in another freaky place like the Hall of Mirrors, where I'd once again get turned around! Heck, after all the weird turns I'd made, I was probably heading towards the outer wall!

"This isn't RIGHT!" I screamed, kicking the wall. Running my tongue over my teeth, I choked down a sob. Jareth wasn't playing fair, damn it! Wasn't there a rule somewhere against this sort of mistreatment? Subconsciously, I began sucking on a lock of my brown hair. It was an old habit that I had tried desperately to get rid of - to no avail, apparently.

Damn it all to hell, how I wanted to quit! The Goblin King's maze had seemed so easy before this... Sarah got lost but she always had help come along and save her! Me, on the other hand, little old me, I was all alone. No one was going to be helping me now, or ever. "I just keep getting lost..." I muttered, "Why?"

"Perhaps because, deep down, you want to be lost?" Jareth asked, making me jump. The wet piece of hair fell from my mouth as I spun around to face him. He was leaning up against the opposite side of the well, the silver snake slowly curling around his black boot. There was a snide leer on his face that made me extremely uncomfortable. _Why is he here?_

Wariness starting to pervade me, I crossed my arms over my chest. If Jareth had just entered then he didn't need to know of my self-doubting... just yet. "And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, titling my chin up arrogantly. The denim of my shorts rubbed painfully against a cut. Breaking my façade of cool collectiveness, I winced. Jareth chuckled. Glaring at him, I cleared my throat and asked dismissively, "Oh, who'd want to be lost, anyway?"

Jareth walked forward, a predatory sheen in his eyes. As he drew near, I pressed up against the wall. There was nowhere for me to run now. And I'd bet a million dollars that Jareth was thinking the same thing. This thought was only reinforced when Jareth came to rest in front of me. Smirking, he ran a gloved finger over my jaw line. "Only someone who wishes to be rescued," he whispered darkly.

My heart skipped a beat. "Wha.... what?" I stammered. Jareth's finger slid along my lips. Only a small trace of a desire to bite him came over me, proving the extent to which his statement had unnerved me.

A cruel smile played across his face. "You want to be rescued, little human girl," he murmured. Stunned, I let my mouth hang open. Inside my chest my heart was pounding, sending a flush of blood to my cheeks. You could've fried an egg on my face. Jareth's hand found my shoulder and slowly traveled down to rest casually on my hip. "Too bad you wished your knight away..." he said, smiling broadly.

"Seth?" I asked. Wow, it had been over twelve hours since I'd said my Muse's name. The act left a funny taste in my mouth. With it Jareth's hand tightened. I winced and put my hand over his, intending to push it away.

Tone a little sticky, he said, "Yes... Seth. Your knight." There was a disgusted look in his eyes, but it vanished as he continued on with his little speech. "You really _should _give up, Karleigh." The way he said my name made me wish he hadn't ever learned it. "Seth wants to stay here, with me. In fact - he asked me if I could keep him here, even if you did win."

A tear escaped the corner of my eye. Jareth rubbed a comforting circle on my hip, and pushed my face into his chest. I collapsed against him, crying audibly now. Never had I thought I'd turn to Jareth for comfort. Or that I'd be crying over _Seth._ "Now now," Jareth murmured, putting his arms around me. "Why give that ungrateful bastard the satisfaction of seeing your tears? Just say the word - and I will send you back home. You'll never have to lay eyes on Seth again, my dear."

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"That is _not _me!" Jareth insisted, looking up from the crystal. His brow was furrowed in puzzlement. Seth glared at him. Sighing, Jareth threw his arms up. "How could I be in two places at once?" he demanded, trying to hide his panic. Lady Rachelle had gone too far, taking his face. She was breaking the rules of the Labyrinth now, trying to trick Karleigh into going home.

Seth ran a hand through his hair. "Jareth, if you do not want another bruise on your lovely face," he murmured, stepping towards the monarch, "you _will _take me there. _Now._" He was fuming. Jareth or not, the man conversing with Karleigh had crossed an invisible line. _No one but me is permitted to touch her, _he thought fleetingly.

- - - "I just want to punch him!" - - -

The shriek was loud enough to make both men wince. Seth felt his knees go weak. He had to see Karleigh, and let her know that everything that imposter was saying about him wasn't true! How could she even think for a second that he hated her?

- - - "I know, I know. But wouldn't it be better just to go home?" - - -

Lady Rachelle's tone was much quieter. Jareth twirled the crystal, and it tripled in size. Grunting, Seth looked on with him. "Are you taking me or not?" he demanded, watching the pseudo-Jareth stroke Karleigh's back. If he didn't go soon he'd need to start breaking bottles again.

- - - "No! I want to beat the fucking crap out of him!" - - -

Seth flinched and stumbled backwards into a chair. _Karleigh... _he thought, burying his face in his hands. There was a horrible knot in his stomach. _Maybe I should just sign that contract. Her memories would be erased, and she wouldn't be angry with me anymore... she wouldn't be anything with me anymore._

Jareth sighed, oblivious to his friend's thoughts. He was going to have to intervene, which in itself would be a relatively simple task. The problem was going to be coaxing Karleigh out of her murderous rage long enough for him to get a hand on Lady Rachelle. If there was only some way to talk Seth out of destroying everything in the room before he left, everything would be perfect.

The glint of something silver within the crystal caught Jareth's eye.

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Lady Rachelle had given up. As planned, her words had turned Karleigh against Seth. The trouble was now the mortal wanted to kill him. _I should have expected this,_ Rachelle lamented. Karleigh was a woman scorned, and she wanted her revenge. Rachelle actually felt sorry for the girl. She remembered when she'd discovered that her Seth had taken another lover, nothing in the Underground could console her except the thought of his demise. There was only one way to get Karleigh to do what she wanted now.

Behind the girl's head, Rachelle waved her hand. A snake appeared, and flicked it's tongue towards it's Mistress. Rachelle smiled. Her creations always managed to cheer her up. And this one was definitely going to make her happy, if Karleigh didn't disappear in the next three seconds.

Slowly and deliberately, Rachelle lowered the snake to Karleigh's neck. She felt her heart speed up with the thrill of the moment. _Finally, that bitch will be under my control, _the thought. Karleigh's tears were soaking the front of her shirt. The girl's back was falling and rising with each of her incensed breaths. Stroking the back of the snake's head, Rachelle watched it open it's mouth.

At Rachelle's silent command, the snake plunged it's fangs into Karleigh's neck.

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Author's Note: AGH! Wow. _Long chapter. _Holy crap. Almost three thousand words! oO Well I did try to warn you at the beginning. Dunno when the next chapter is going to be out, I'll try as quickly as possible...

Darth Moofin: I have heavily contemplated the idea, believe me. Haven't hammered out all the details yet... ah I've said too much! 'Devious little biscuit' interesting choice of words there Thanks for the review.

Draco's Daughter: There was a craze in second grade to go into the bathroom, turn off the lights, and call out Bloody Mary... she never showed up though ::tear:: Hehe love the Pan torture! Thanks for your review.

Mab, Queen of Faerie: Uh, well, I just like making things complicated. And I thought it was vaguely amusing... Thanks for reviewing!

BlueyChan: Is it just me or did you start and finish your entire story before I added this chapter? ::shifty eyes:: Hehe, I loved it, really! Thanks for the review.

sych77: Yes, you were living in a hole. A BLACK HOLE! How you ever managed to escape that will baffle scientists for all time... ::cough:: There are like a million different versions of the legend, I just picked one at random. I pronounce it Kar-lay, personally. Thanks for your reviews!

Princess-RainbowRose: Ooh, I just love torturing you. I'm so evil. Oh dear, and now Seth looks like he's going back to Rachelle! Jareth had better intervene before he signs that contract... dun dun dun! Yes, well, I've finally written in stone that there will be a pairing. Just not revealing whom yet... don't hate me! Thanks for your review!

Insane Dragoness: Thank you for the review and the compliment! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out.


	10. Control

Author's Note: Wow. I can't believe it's been over a month since I've updated. Ahh! I'm sorry! Blame school! Oh, and _Lord of the Flies,_ too. That ate up a good two weeks of my life. Anyway. About two more chapters after this, maybe three. I'm so excited about the ending! I've been wanting to write it since chapter two!

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Rachelle slowly shifted back into her natural form. It was a hard thing to watch, but Karleigh's eyes couldn't focus on much anyway, and so the girl didn't turn her head away. Her breath was shallow, slow. The silver snake lay curled at her feet, sleeping off its recent bout of work.

Lady Rachelle was extremely pleased with how quickly Karleigh had submitted to the poison. No struggle had been put up, no bitter tears of resentment had poured forth. Those things were too messy, in Rachelle's opinion. She never cried. It wasted time.

Now, time was precious. The poison would only last for so long. She ran a hand through her hair, to affirm that it was now again thick and black. It was. A smirk crossed her face. She stepped forward and cupped Karleigh's chin in her hand, turning her face to the side. The rest of the mortal's body was limp, and it was a wonder that she was even still standing. "Too bad you never got that meal you wanted," Rachelle said, even though Karleigh couldn't hear her.

A plan was taking form in Rachelle's mind. Up to this point she had not been sure if Karleigh would be subject to the venom. Seth could have put a protective spell on her, as most Muses did to their charges. Fortunately Seth seemed to be about as apt a Muse as Rachelle was a mother. She really must go down to the nursery one day soon and figure out if it was three or four children now.

Simplicity would be the best route to take. Simply have Karleigh ask Jareth to send her home. Simple.

And yet.... not at all satisfying. Rachelle gritted her teeth. The chances of Seth accepting that this girl had just given up were slim. It would be wiser, and infinitely more fulfilling, if Karleigh had the chance to talk to Seth. To tell him she didn't care anymore, while looking in his eyes. He would have no choice but to accept the fact after that.

Rachelle chuckled. She leaned down and began whispering instructions in Karleigh's ear.

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Seth paced impatiently across Jareth's study. "Done primping yet?" he demanded, knowing the answer already and not bothering to look up from the floor. "Or can't you find the right chain to go with your damned pendant?"

Jareth ignored his friend. The alcohol hadn't yet diffused from his system. Besides, there were more important things to be concerned about. Lady Rachelle had taken control of Karleigh. Seth didn't know that, of course, and Jareth did not intend on telling him about it. But anything Karleigh did while under the Lady's control was, under the rules of the Labyrinth, completely valid. When the rules had been established, the writers had assumed that the Goblin King was capable of keeping bad magic from interfering in his game.

Rachelle was going to pay for making Jareth look like an idiot.

He hunched over the desk, trying to tune out Seth's obscene yells. It was only a matter of time before Rachelle tried to get Karleigh to send herself home. When that happened, Jareth would automatically be summoned to the girl's side. Going before then would only endanger Karleigh. Rachelle would try to transport the two of them away, and in the process Karleigh could be hurt. Worse than she already was.

"Are you listening to me?" Seth asked.

Jareth spoke without thinking. "Yes," he said. The Muse frowned at the King of the Goblins, sensing that he was being lied to. Jareth realized that this scene was extremely familiar. "I mean," he amended, "no. Not really."

Seth took a deep breath. "When are you going to take me to see Kar? I want... I need to talk to her." Worry clouded his normally bright eyes. He took a step towards Jareth, feeling oddly numb. "I don't care about any of the rules, either. Break them. You can do that for me," he said, leaning over the back of Jareth's chair.

"No I can't," Jareth said. "You should know that," he added darkly, slipping back into his noble air. Seth had thrown him off, made him act like a hormonal adolescent again. A King's speech should be eloquent and full of nice vocabulary words from advanced English. "The rules are absolute. If Karleigh decides to give up, there is nothing I can do about it."

"Why would she give up?" Seth asked, startled.

Shit, Jareth thought, in a very royal-sounding mental voice. That had been a bad choice of words. "Perhaps because of fatigue, a sense of despondency, or a lack of enthusiasm. She made her feelings towards you exceptionally clear earlier," Jareth said, slightly pleased with himself. 'Despondency' would have gotten him a happy exclamation point in an essay. "She didn't come across as a girl longing for her Muse."

Rolling his eyes, Seth sat down on the desktop. "Stop acting like a prick," he ordered. He had never needed nice vocabulary words in school to make a good grade, and didn't see the point of using them in real life. "And she was _confused _earlier."

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Confused might have been a good word to describe my current position. Then again, it also seemed like an understatement. My vision had gone blurry, and I couldn't see Jareth anymore. I couldn't decipher the pain I had felt a few moments ago. If I had been able to raise my hands to my neck, I would have checked for blood. But my arms, along with the rest of my body, were frozen. In addition to being paralyzed, there was an unfamiliar voice floating through my mind.

Ask Jareth to send you home.

My bones ached. The cuts on my legs stung. Cold sweat was dripping down my forehead, and I couldn't wipe it away. And I was absolutely ravenous. Going home was an appealing idea. Too bad I hadn't been the one to think of it. I did not recognize the voice. It didn't sound like my own thoughts, though they did not seem to be spoken, these strange words. They just appeared, without any summoning from me.

But first, ask to talk with Seth.

Seth was the reason I was here in the first place. Heck, Seth was going to be the reason I'd be spending thousands of dollars on therapy a few years down the road. I'd probably get committed to an asylum if I started spouting off about him. The psychologist's report would make me look insane. _'Hallucinates... in love with an imaginary man...'_

What? No. I wasn't in _love _with Seth... that thought must have been brought on by lack of food and water. If I had been able to shiver, I would have. A few drops of cold sweat trailed down my back from the nape of my neck. Something was obviously very wrong here.

Tell Seth that you hate him.

Wait. _Did_ I hate him? I couldn't remember anymore. My vision went black for a moment, then quickly came back. For a second I didn't understand. Then it happened again. _Oh, _I thought, _I'm blinking. _Hopefully, I tried to will my eyelids down. They obeyed, and I let them back up. So I was regaining possession of my body. Good. I couldn't stand the thought of Jareth being in control of me.

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Then wish to go home.

A hand trailed along my cheek. Suddenly my vision came back into focus, and I was looking into the mismatched eyes of a woman. She dropped her hand to her side and smiled approvingly. "Karleigh," she said, "tell me how you feel about Seth."

"I hate him," I said instantly, flexing my fingers. Now I remembered. This was the noble woman from the portrait gallery. Jareth was gone. This woman must have come here to help me. I ran my tongue along my lips, making a mental note to buy chapstick when Jareth sent me back home. If I got back home. "Are you going to help me solve the Labyrinth?" I asked. Now I saw my mistake. I needed the help of someone smarter, more powerful than that stupid Hoggle. After all, I was just a human. To solve Jareth's Labyrinth, I would need otherworldly aid.

The woman put a finger to my temple. I rolled my shoulders. It was good to have my body back. "Yes," she said, voice sounding like breaking crystal. "I am here to serve," she added, eyes lighting up. Whatever thought had just crossed her mind, it was amusing, that was for sure.

Languidly I stretched. Her finger stayed pressed to my temple. Feeling rejuvenated, I laughed, just for the heck of it. It'd been a long time since I could last remember laughing, and the act felt good. "That's nice," I murmured.

With a smirk, the woman said, "This may hurt." I nodded, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. Strangely, I was reminded of old doctor's visits. How many times over the past year had I gone in? Over a dozen, at least. After years of carrying around bulging bookbags for school, I'd developed a slight case of scoliosis. No worries, the doctors had told me. But I was going to need surgery in the fall. Blood had to be drawn occasionally to make sure the pain medication wasn't making me subject to infections. How many times had Seth stood behind me, hand on my shoulder, whispering that it'd be okay as the nurse pushed the needle into my arm?

Exhaling slowly, I readied myself for the shock. Pain was nothing compared to the eternity I would spend at Jareth's mercy, or lack thereof, if I was not able to solve the Labyrinth. No pain, no gain, right?

"Here we go," the woman whispered.

A sharp spike of pain made my knees go weak, and I dropped onto the floor. Shocked, I put my hands on my head and pressed as hard as I could, as if by doing so I could push out the pain. My body throbbed for a moment. The pain began to ebb away, slowly though. A minute or two had passed before I was able to stand again. Crap, getting blood drawn had never been this painful.

When I looked up, the woman was gone. I turned around, and she was nowhere in sight. The last of my pain faded away. I looked down at the floor of the well, where the Hoggle-looking puppet had lain a little while before. It wasn't there now, but that was good. Suddenly I felt empowered.

I knew the way out of the Labyrinth. It was so simple! Why hadn't I thought of it before? Laughing again at my own stupidity, I kneeled down and felt around for the trap door I now knew was in the floor. The cracks around its sides were almost invisible, but they were there. If I had not been panicking before I probably would have found them after a good search. Already I thought I could see a square on the floor that looked darker than the rest. That must be the door, the way out of this hole.

Questing for just a few more seconds yielded the edge of the door. It came up easily. From now on everything was going to be easy. That woman, she must have been an angel. Only someone divinely endowed could have given me a mental map out of the Labyrinth.

I slid down into the blackness beyond the door. Now to the castle beyond the goblin city. To show Jareth that I was not an idiot, and to make him send me home. But most of all to make sure that pesky Seth was not going to follow me back to my world...

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Author's Note: The scoliosis thing just came to mind because my brother's school was conducting it's annual scoliosis tests the other day. I hated those. Anyway. Sorry again about the time it took to update!

BlueyChan, thank you for waiting as patiently as you have! You've been a faithful reader, and I'm glad for that.

Princess-RainbowRose, you won't have to work too hard on your alternate ending. I think. Anyway, I promise to update quicker this time! Thank you for all the reviews you've given! **sych77**, Oooh sorry it took so long! The next one won't, hopefully. This one was hard to write, but I'm excited about the next one. Thank you for the review.

Lady Moofin, trying to predict the ending? I was startled by some of your guesses. Not telling which ones, of course. ::cackle:: I guess I've dropped more hints than I thought I was. Thanks for your review! **Fou Fou**, hate fest. Interesting choice of words. I hope I can make the hate go away soon ::sigh:: but I don't know how long it's going to take until the next chapter. Hopefully two weeks at max! Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews!


	11. Arrival at Last!

Kerist: Oh my Goodness. This chapter has **dramatic irony! **Gasp!

Seth: Shut up and do the disclaimer already.

Kerist: Fine fine.... you'd think my Muse would be _proud _of me for that little accomplishment.

Seth: You still haven't finished the story yet, girl. You've got a long way to go.

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Disclaimer: Does anyone actually _read _the disclaimers? I doubt it. I don't own Coca-Cola. Though it might be kind of fun to. I've been to the World of Coke and it's fun to try all those different flavors. I don't own Labyrinth, but sometimes I'm afraid it's beginning to own me...

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Jareth was not happy. He had been expecting Karleigh to call out to him, wishing to go home. But now it seemed as if she was actually going to try and _solve _the Labyrinth! He leaned back and put his feet up on his desk. Did Lady Rachelle know the way through the maze? Jareth never remembered showing her. Seth could have at some point, but he doubted it. The Labyrinth could be dangerous. Lady Rachelle didn't like to put herself in danger unless it was absolutely necessary.

Across the room, Seth was staring curiously at one of the wine bottles he had broken. He looked from it to his hand. A year ago he had been able to fix this things just by thinking about it. While he was with Karleigh he still retained some of his powers. Perhaps Jareth had been wrong about his magic being gone. After all, if there was any place for it to come back, it would be in the Labyrinth.

He glanced over his shoulder at the Goblin King. _Surely there is no harm in trying. It is a simple spell after all. Children can mend glass. _Jareth wasn't looking at him. He was completely absorbed in his thoughts. Seth turned around and hunkered over the broken bottle, shielding his hands and the glass from Jareth's view. Better safe than sorry. Taking a deep breath, the Muse spread his fingers in the air above the wine bottle.

The air around him grew static. He gritted his teeth and tensed the muscles in his hands. _This shouldn't be so hard. I've done harder things staying with Karleigh! Traveling across the world in the span of a few seconds is much more difficult than fixing a piece of broken glass!_

Jareth turned his head. From his point of view, Seth was kneeling on the floor in front of where he'd dropped a bottle of Jareth's finest wine. For a moment Jareth wanted to believe the old Fae was just trying to seek some privacy in his grief. But the moment only lasted so long.

"Seth, stop."

He didn't budge. Jareth's command only made him try harder. A glass shard tipped slightly, but quickly became inanimate. Seth cursed and stood, whipping around to face Jareth. "What? What do you expect me to do? The only thing I have is to wait for you to take me to see Karleigh," he hissed, the static sensation disappearing. "And you don't seem like you're too keen on doing that anytime soon, Your Highness."

"If I bring you in front of the girl she will only condemn you," Jareth said calmly. He rose from his seat and slowly walked across the room. Gloved hands clasped behind his back, he was trying to formulate some plan. Lady Rachelle had spent more time pouring over magic books than was healthy. In the back of his mind, Jareth suspected that she knew more than even he did. "She will condemn me, and this entire place."

He reached Seth and sighed, talking more to himself now. "Lady Rachelle has turned that girl into a blasted vacuum. She's trying to solve the Labyrinth now. I can't figure out what that _blasted _woman's angle is. Why didn't she just send the girl _here?_ And it's worse because Karleigh's sucking up the Labyrinth's magic to guide her!" He blanched at Seth's shocked expression. Thinking aloud had consequences.

Unfortunately for both men, Jareth wholly misinterpreted Seth's shock. The Goblin King assumed that by now the man knew Rachelle was a right bitch, and that she was going to have Karleigh leave Seth behind in the Labyrinth. On the other hand, Seth's heart was pounding furiously. Finally Rachelle had forgiven him! She had seen that Karleigh was in trouble and was helping her solve the Labyrinth! Admittedly, it could be to get on Seth's good side for calling the girl names earlier, but still, her efforts would have a noble end. Seth assumed that the anger in Jareth's eyes was because he was going to be beaten.

He was partly right. Jareth was incensed at the prospect of having an _outsider, _a woman no less, finding her way around his rules. If things continued on this course then Karleigh would either be destroyed before ever reaching the Goblin City or she would say the words to bind Seth to the Underground forever. The Labyrinth would not let her go without seeking its revenge, though. If not after saying the words then during the return trip home, it would yank all of its magic out of her body. The force would kill her.

Seth wavered before speaking. Essentially he had been raised in the Labyrinth. Things could have changed in his absence, but he was fairly certain of one thing. "Rachelle doesn't have the power to do that. That's cheating. The Labyrinth won't allow that."

Jareth had to be mistaken. Rachelle wasn't so stupid as to have given Karleigh _magic _to solve the Labyrinth! It would destroy her! He remembered being a child, and being forced to attend the funerals of Underground citizens foolish enough to try and use magic to solve Jareth's Labyrinth. Always closed casket services, those were. He tried not to think about the sight of those coffins.

Jareth nodded resolutely. "If you'll excuse me," he said, eyes glittering, "I need to speak with someone." He promptly disappeared. Seth stared at the place he had been standing, and then let himself laugh.

"Oh, Jareth, you've been beaten," he said in between chortles. His raised spirit allowed him to utilize one of the powers he had retained while working with Karleigh. An unbroken wine bottle flew out of the rack and into his hand. He uncorked it and took a swig, while strolling happily across the room towards the window. "Karleigh's going to show up any time now, and we're finally going to go back home."

The fear that had permeated him when Karleigh discovered his portrait in the Gallery was gone. He no longer dreaded telling her of his past, of the trial, and that his stay with her was supposed to be a punishment. They were going to have a good laugh about that last bit. Once Jareth's anger had faded, he could probably be persuaded to write a letter to the High Court.

Seth allowed himself to think of what it would be like to live Aboveground. Not just in Karleigh's imagination, but actually _live. _To have a real body again! He eagerly ran a hand through his hair. This was a fantasy he rarely permitted himself to entertain. Chances that he would be restored to full Underground status were nonexistent, but Aboveground... what would the High Court care if another human was running around?

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Think of that. Me, a human! Karleigh would flip, Seth thought, taking another swig from the bottle. For the first time in over a year things were finally going his way. His face erupted in a genuine smile. It had been too long since he'd been this happy. Everything was going to work out perfectly.

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The shadows of the Labyrinth's forgotten corridor held no secrets from me. In my mind I could see every corner of the maze. Fiery Forest, the Oubliette, the Junkyard: all were inconvenient obstacles. At the beginning of this journey I had really hoped to spot the sites I'd seen in my favorite movie all those times. Now I realized how stupid it was to take Sarah's route. There was a much quicker one, if you only knew the way.

The cuts on my legs did not sting anymore. In fact they reminded me of how far I'd come since I had started my journey. The tiny red marks were symbols of how strong I was. What that lovely woman had done for me was a true blessing. My mind was completely and totally clear of the fog that had been clouding it before.

Why had I wanted to rescue Seth? I should have accepted Jareth's gift. Of course now I could not do that, but there was a greater prize. To see the look of surprise on the Goblin King's face when I marched triumphantly into his castle, before even the first day was spent, would be worth all of the hardships I had endured in this wretched place.

I frowned as I continued on down the shady corridor. It was a long stone archway, ancient green moss and vines growing out of the cracks, and was exposed to the air only every few feet. The lack of light was not an issue for me. Right away I had known that this was the best path to take. Not the shortest, but definitely the safest. My feet traveled with such confidence that I felt like I had been down this path before, dozens of times. But I had never seen it before, had I? Hoggle and I hadn't walked through here before I got trapped in the gallery, had we?

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Do not get discouraged.

My head snapped up, and my pulse quickened. The voice sounded familiar and strange at the same time. But I kept walking. Somehow I knew that at the end of the passageway would lay a staircase. Ascend that, my mind told me, and I would run straight into the cellar of the castle beyond the Goblin City. The goal, that was the important thing.

"Do not get discouraged," I murmured, trying to push away the uneasy feeling that voice had summoned. It didn't feel or sound like one of my own thoughts. And it was definitely a mental sound, not a vocal one.

Echoes from the clicking of my feet against the floor grew louder as I approached the end of the hall. I thought my pulse had been speeding before, but now blood was rushing through me so quickly I thought the cuts on my legs might burst. This was it! I was almost there! "Do not get discouraged," I whispered to myself, breaking into a run.

Every once in a while it was nice to just exert myself in a decent run. Something that my muscles would be sore after. Running just made my body feel cleaned out. My blood circulation increased, and my lungs at least felt purged of dust and other things I'd collected just strolling around. The metal steps created a ringing when I brought my feet down on them. Imagine that! A metal staircase in the middle of the Labyrinth! The castle probably had indoor plumbing and electricity too!

Arms pumping at my sides I continued upwards. Unlike the staircase where I had first run into Jareth, this one ascended into light. My hair bounced wildly in front of my eyes. I jumped the last two steps and miraculously managed to land without breaking my ankle. I looked around. Several torches lined the walls of the cellar. Looked like I was wrong about the electricity thing. A ton of boxes were stacked up, all of them wooden.

"Oh, that's safe," I said, rolling my eyes. I sighed and slid to the floor. _What's the rush? _Jareth wasn't watching me, he was probably catching up with his dear friend Seth, his best friend Seth...

His lover Sethrida.

I tossed my head back and stared at the ceiling. "Seth's not a woman," I muttered, squinting. True, I had never seen him with his shirt off. Not that I _wanted _to or anything. "He _can't _be a woman! I would've known by now!" My voice died off and I glanced around, wondering if there were any goblins down here. Even if Jareth was... um... _occupied _with my Muse, any goblin would run up and alert him of my presence.

I clapped my hands to my head and began pushing. Perhaps that would squeeze out the incredibly disturbing mental image that thought provoked. "Seth hates strawberries!" I yelled. Damn it, I was going to delete Lifetime from my television. Channel surfing had never seemed so horrifying before.

My breath was slowly returning. I tried to distract my mind until it was normal again. "Let's see... what will I do when I get back?" My fanfiction would be an interesting thing to work on, now that I had firsthand experience. Maybe put in some JS action... oh _hell._

Suddenly my breathing was normal again. I jumped up and started power walking across the room. Any moment now I'd stumble upon another staircase, and from there I could navigate my way through the castle until I found Jareth. Or a goblin. I shuddered. If I found one of those horrible little monsters first I'd just announce to Jareth that I was there. It wasn't worth risking him sneaking up on me on a tip from one of his underlings.

As I walked I said a little thank-you prayer to the mysterious woman. Without the knowledge she'd given me, I would never have been able to find my way here. Jareth would be laughing his head off at my stupidity. I might even still be stuck at the bottom of that well. My spirit was soaring now. I owed so much to that woman.

"My guardian angel," I murmured, smiling.

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Rachelle looked up from her chair. "Ah, hello, Jareth," she purred, stroking her neck. A fire burned in the fireplace before her. Because of the heat she'd changed into a thin, almost transparent nightgown. At least that was what Jareth thought it was. He had never really been an expert on women's fashion.

He scowled, furious. "What exactly did you think you were doing, Rachelle? Interfering with my game! What gives you the right," he walked forward menacingly, "to tamper with _my _Labyrinth?" His voice had lowered to a hiss, and he was desperately restraining himself from punching her. One, it would compromise his position. Two, it would probably knock that nightgown right off her. He settled instead for placing his hands on the armrests of her chair and leaning over her.

"Oh, Jareth, you're such a bore," she murmured, yawning. Jareth bristled. "Surely the great Goblin King can come up with an antidote for my poison?" she cocked an eyebrow. Wisely, Jareth bit his tongue. He was thinking of the fireplace poker. Rachelle reached up and ran one of her long nails across his cheek. Inside she was absolutely squealing with joy.

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I've defeated the Goblin King! I've outsmarted Jareth! Ha! Seth will have _to pay attention to me now! Even he had trouble matching wits with Jareth! _She smiled warmly. "How is the little mortal doing? I know you've been watching her progress." Grinning, she curled a lock of hair around her finger.

Now was the point where Jareth would really have to be alert. His plan left a lot of room for variables, more than he felt comfortable allowing. Rachelle and he had matched wits before. She had lost every time. But she had a Plan now. Jareth knew about Plans. They were made up by eager amateurs and usually ended up creating huge disasters. Jareth really did not want to deal with a huge disaster.

Rachelle's mind wandered for a moment. She wondered what Seth was doing right then. Pacing around Jareth's library? Reading a book? If it was the latter, the tome was most likely something thick and heavy. A leather-bound original copy, one kept free from translation. She had always admired Seth's ability to pick up and become fluent in languages so quickly.

And what was the little mortal doing right then? That worried her. If Jareth wasn't lying, then she was in deep trouble. Something had to have gone terribly wrong with her magic. But if he _was _lying, everything was moving according to plan. In fact, Karleigh could even burst in the room before Jareth got around to answering her question. _My, wouldn't the look on Jareth's face be perfect? _She giggled to herself, and wished that it would happen. The man would be caught in a boldface lie, and then be told off by a nothing human girl, adding insult to injury!

Jareth took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the chair. "She's doing quite well," he said calmly. "Considering who gave her the instructions, she's doing quite well indeed." He kept his tone level and indifferent.

Rachelle frowned. What did Jareth have planned? "You think that my magic is inferior to yours?" she asked.

Smiling, Jareth leaned back. A small light was glinting in his eyes. "If it wasn't, would Karleigh be so lost right now?" It was dangerous to bluff, but Lady Rachelle did not have the crystals he did. She would have to wait for a snake to find Karleigh and bring back the news before she could tell if Jareth was lying. And the goblin outside the door would make sure that would not happen.

"Karleigh can't be lost!" Rachelle yelled, leaping up from her seat. "My spells wouldn't allow it!"

Jareth looked casually at the fireplace. "So you admit you wrongly used magic to fix the outcome of Karleigh's journey?" he asked, eyes flickering. The door to the room had cracked open slightly, and a goblin ear appeared in the space. "Knowing that it was wrong before you did it?" Jareth added, a little louder.

In her rage, Rachelle missed the warning signs. If she had just turned her head, she would have seen the head of the eavesdropper. Normally she would have kept her mouth shut after this point. But she wasn't so sure that Jareth would risk so much on a lie. She stomped toward Jareth, gown swirling around her ankles. Her hair, which she was wearing loose, created shadows on her face, warping its beauty into something obviously evil. "What else would I have been doing, Jareth?" she demanded.

The Goblin King smiled.

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At the top of the stairs I found another hallway. I grinned and confidently turned left. Down the hall was Jareth's throne room. "Finally," I whispered, combing my hair behind my ears. An insane grin had plastered itself to my face. "Finally." The hunger I had felt earlier was a distant memory. The pain of the rocks falling on my leg was gone. Even the sight of the empty Hoggle puppet was no longer terrifying. It was just a puppet, after all. No bones. No blood.

I tugged at the hem of my shirt. The journey had turned it ratty. I scowled. If I was going to be facing Jareth I wanted to be wearing something a little nicer than ripped shorts and a dirty t-shirt. My body felt grimy from all the sweating I had done earlier. I looked around and wondered if there was any possibility of taking a shower before I met up with Jareth. If I couldn't have nice clothes at least I could feel clean.

I stopped and tried to think. The woman had given me all the information I needed to get anywhere in the Labyrinth and the castle. Time to take a little bath would be no time at all considering how long it would have taken me if she hadn't been so kind. I sighed and wiped a half-formed tear from my eye. She was the only person that had been truly kind to me over the past few days. It was nice to know that some goodness could exist within the Labyrinth.

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Wait, didn't you agree that Jareth wasn't a villain? He never would have turned Toby into a goblin! He was only living up to Sarah's expectations. He just wanted her to love him, didn't he? Remember the lines at the end?

I faltered. My own mental voice had popped up out of almost nowhere. What it pointed out kind of scared me. Since really paying attention to the movie, I _had _decided that Jareth wasn't all that bad. Why in the world had I been thinking otherwise? Yet even now there was a part of me telling myself to ignore that. Jareth had cornered me in the stairwell, hadn't he? He had commissioned that stupid painting, insulted me, and done that weird thing to my neck.

Instantly, my hand raised to my neck and began rubbing against the skin. There was no blood. I could not feel any puncture wounds, or scrapes, or blisters. But I _knew _that something had hurt me, despite the odd voice that was telling me I had only imagined it happening.

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He has done you wrong, it said. I frowned and closed my eyes. _When he first arrived, what did he do with your family, hmm? Do you really believe he just stowed them away somewhere for safekeeping? It would have been much easier to just kill them all._

That did it. Even if they could be mean to me and did neglect me sometimes, they were still my family! Jareth had no right to go messing with them. It was _me _who summoned him, not them. They didn't deserve whatever he had done to them. Even Thomas. Especially Thomas. He wasn't even in high school yet! Of course he would be a jerk toward me sometimes! My mother and father had never been bad to me. If they were alive, they were probably confused and terrified. I started walking towards the throne room again. Forget the bath. I needed to punch someone.

__

Seth and Jareth. Neither of them deserves your pity.

Now I was thinking about myself in the second person. I really needed to get out of here. My breath rattled in my chest as I approached the stairs to the throne room. Already I could hear the loud racket of goblins partying. All of the fanfictions I had read came to mind. Jareth wasn't always bad, but often the goblins were. Not usually the female goblins, but it was the males who hung out in the throne room.

I could fear my courage failing. Jareth was not who I was scared of. I could take him, I was angry enough. Raging fighters always fared better than calm and collected ones. But against an entire room of goblins, I knew I would be overwhelmed. "Sheesh," I muttered, blotting my palms on my shorts. I thought the Firies would be bad, but the goblins had always freaked me out too. Sure, they could be cute if it was two in the morning and you had just drank five glasses of Coca-Cola. But then you looked at their glassy eyes and remembered why goblin lore was never nice.

I stood at the foot of the stairs, gazing up at the doorway to the throne room. The noise was loud, and I could see the shadows of goblins dancing on the walls. None of the shadows looked human, and I didn't hear Jareth's familiar voice booming out any songs. Maybe he wasn't in there.

But if he wasn't there, where would he be? I'd never find him if he was somewhere else. I knew that there were hundreds of rooms in this castle. Searching all of them would be futile. Pride would not allow me to call out to the King. I wanted to be in control of the situation when we finally met. Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned up against the wall. Think! A solution was right before me, I could feel it. Just think harder...

Behind me the shattering of glass jarred my train of thought. Startled, I turned around.

"Karleigh?" Seth whispered. His hand was hanging limply at his side, fingers opened. I looked down. At his feet lay the broken remains of a wine bottle. A slowly expanding pool of red wine was soaking his shoes. Confused, I looked back at his face. He was just as shocked as I was. Strangely, I had not been anticipating our reuniting, and I had no idea what do to now that it was happening.

Hesitantly, he started walking towards me. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out his hand. I stared at it blankly. Suddenly I was blushing. I didn't exactly look poised and collected at the moment. When I didn't respond, Seth leaned forward and took my hand in his. He gripped it tightly and began examining me, which I accepted without protest. I wanted to cry. _Damn. _I was so embarrassed! Seth _was _real, he was a real person, and now he was seeing me and probably thinking that I had been hit by a truck.

I whimpered. Seth immediately drew me against his chest and gave me a tight hug. "Karleigh," he said, cupping my chin in his hand, "it's okay. We can go home now." _You're to wish him to stay here! _He titled my head up and we met gazes. I got another surprise.

"Your eyes are different."

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Kerist: Yay! I love that last line. It's probably not the best I've ever written, but I've been waiting to have Karleigh say it for months now. Wow. I've been writing this for months. Weird. Doesn't seem like it. Anyway. I think the story is going to have more chapters than I had anticipated. Seth and Karleigh are about to have a nice discussion.

Seth: You're making me look like a pathetic, sappy idiot.

Kerist: That's the point, Seth.

Seth: I despise you.

Kerist: Anyway I hope to have the next chapter out sometime mid-November, because I'm already working on it.

Seth: Please save me. November is National Novel Writing Month. (Check her profile to learn more) And you _know _whose shoulder she's going to be crying on when she runs into trouble!

Kerist: (mutters:) Yeah, as one of the victims of the Assassin's Unit. HA! You can be the guy Jacqueline misses... oh wow! Wonderful idea! I think I can use that. Haha it'll be so much fun turning you into a criminal, Seth. Hey, at least you're finally acting like a Muse.

Seth: Did I mention that I despise you?

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Lady Moofin: I'm curious as to what you thought was going to be in _this _chapter. Were you right about anything? Of course, you could always lie, but I know you wouldn't do that ;) Thanks for the review.

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BlueyChan: You're right about Lord of the Flies. Vampires would have helped immensely. Hehe good luck with your geometry - my teacher last year was _evilll..... _thanks for your review.

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Princess-RainbowRose: Oooh, I'm not telling. It should be a surprise (_should) _until the last chapter. Mwahaha! ::cough:: Anyway. Of course I told Jareth "hi" from everyone here. We had a lengthy discussion, he and I. Which is why he's acting considerably more intelligent in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

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Fou Fou: Cliffhangers are fun. I actually feel sorry for Seth. I'm being mean to him. And it isn't over yet. (foreshadowing!) Poor Seth. Thanks for the compliment, and, of course, the review. Over five per chapter now!

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Moonjava: Ah, a new reviewer. It must have been good for you to read all the way up to chapter ten. Hope the update didn't take too long for you. Thanks for reviewing.

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Mab, Queen of Faerie: Ooh, I know I took a long time to update when the readers tell me they missed me. I hope I can write the next one before November. November... ::slightly worried:: I calculated and I have to write 1667 words a day. Which is a lot more than it seems. Anyway. Thanks for the review!


	12. Your Eyes Can Be So Cruel

Kerist: Okay, apparently I've been an idiot and not mentioned the color of Seth's eyes now that he's been subjected to Labyrinthine magic and had his human disguise ... expunged. Anyway. My stupid Muse's right eye is blue and his left eye is green, now that he's looking like a Fae again.

Seth: I'm not stupid. All of your reviewerslove me!

Kerist: Stop being so egocentric and do the disclaimer already, Seth. Or should I say... Sethrida?

Seth: Don't make threats.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Labyrinth, and if you haven't realized that by now, then, well, you're just the saddest, most pathetic excuse for a human being ever.

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"Your eyes are different," I said, swallowing hard. Seth's eyes were not the crystal blue I was used to. Okay, well, _one _of them was. But the other was an emerald green. Definitely not what it had been before. I stared at him, waiting, perhaps, for the green to go away and the blue to come back.

His grip on my hand tightened when I said that. "Yes," he said, in the same tone of voice a person uses when someone walks in from outside, soaking wet from head to toe, and announces the surprising news that it's raining. Which it might have been, for all I knew. It had been over fourteen hours since I'd seen my house. Heh. If I was under the normal rules I would've lost, help or no help from my guardian angel.

We stared at each other for another minute. I felt strange. Why hadn't I thought more about what I was going to do when I saw Seth? I was sure I had made a plan, but I couldn't remember it. My brain felt like it was twitching. "What happened to your legs?" Seth finally asked.

A sharp pain fired off at the base of my neck. "Wall," I muttered, taking my hand away from Seth's. "What happened to your shirt?" A huge red stain was on the front of it. Not that I was worried. If it was blood he'd be in visible pain. Another sharp pain. I was supposed to be doing something. There was a question I had to ask Seth, but I couldn't remember it. Oh _damn it! _I knew the question was important... I should have written it down.

"Wine," he said, cocking his head to one side. He licked his lips. "Lots of wine," he added, taking a deep breath. I frowned. I'd never seen Seth eat or drink. I didn't know he could. He stepped towards me and took my hand again. I jerked it away without thinking. He looked hurt. I turned around and looked down the hallway. Shouldn't Jareth be somewhere around here? I started walking.

_Wish to go home. Wish to go home._ "Karleigh!" Seth yelled. He quickly closed the space between us and started walking next to me. Since his legs were longer, he was walking leisurely, but I felt like someone had lit a fire under me. If I hadn't been so tired from everything I would have ran. "Where are you going?" Seth demanded, putting his hand on my shoulder. Something snapped.

Flinching, I shoved him off. "Don't touch me!" I shrieked. "Don't ever touch me!"

The Muse looked baffled, but only for a second. The look on his face made me I realize I'd made him very, very angry. _Damn it! _I pivoted and started to run, but he grabbed me around my waist and lifted me up. "Let me go!" I wailed, thrashing my arms. He let out a short laugh and continued holding me against his chest. "Let me go, Seth!" My eyes started to tear up. "Please!" I begged. He didn't respond, just waited patiently. Frustrated, I beat my fists against his arms. Dropping to the floor wasn't such a bad prospect right then.

Only a minute later I was exhausted. "I hate you," I whispered, feeling tears start to stream down my face. He sighed heavily and put me down. As he spun me around to face him, I focused my eyes miserably at the floor. I swallowed. I wanted to say that I hated him again, but somehow I thought he'd gotten the message.

"What was that?" he demanded, voice full of ice. "What in the world have I done to you?"

I clenched my fists at my sides. "Lied," I said, looking up at him. "It's a pretty big issue for a Labyrinth fanfic writer to have their Muse _know _the Goblin King personally," I hissed. He scowled, probably resisting the urge to slap me. "You said you _hated _Labyrinth," I went on, deliberately stoking the fire. "How can you _hate _it? For all I know you were almost _in _it!" My voice rose to a high, squealing pitch. My nails dug deep into my palms. _Stupid liar! _I wanted to scream. I was so angry I couldn't even think of a proper insult.

"I can explain that," Seth said, still scowling.

I laughed bitterly and wiped some tears from my cheek. Of course he could explain it. He always had an excuse, didn't he? _Stupid stupid stupid!_ "So explain," I said, grinning at him. "Tell me what that portrait is all about." The malicious tone of my voice was frightening. I didn't sound like me.

"Jareth had it painted," Seth said slowly. His hands had fallen by his sides. He was being wise by not touching me anymore. I didn't want him to touch me again. He was _real! _He was a _real _person! That was the biggest lie of all! How could he expect me _not_ to be angry? "When I lived here," he said. He paused to gauge my reaction. But I wasn't really paying attention. I was angry. And I was supposed to be doing something. There was a question I had to ask Seth, but I couldn't remember it. Oh _damn it! _I knew the question was important... I should have written it down.

Seth looked conflicted. "Karleigh," he said, pained, "I used to live here. I was born here, in Underground. I grew up here. And I was... _am... _a good friend with Jareth."

A good friend with Jareth.

"I know you've read about the Fae, Karleigh." Why was I still in the Labyrinth? Seth looked so sad. "So you should know... why my eyes look like this. This... this is what I really look like, Kar." He spread his arms out in an a tell-all gesture. I glanced over his shoulder and down the hallway. Shouldn't Jareth be somewhere around here?

The Fae. I had read about the Fae. Seth was a Fae? _Seth?_ A good friend with Jareth.

"You're...." I faltered. A question. I had to ask a question. "Why did you leave Underground?" Underground is a real place. I'm not sitting hunched over a computer, writing about it. I'm talking about it with Seth, because it's real. And Seth is real. And Seth is a Fae. A good friend with Jareth. "Why did you leave Underground?" I asked again. Why would anyone _leave _this place? If the fanfictions were really true - and it seemed as if an awful lot of them were - then Underground was a wonderful place. Why would anyone _leave?_

Seth looked at the ceiling. He remained silent. My blood began to boil, and, furious, I grabbed him by the collar. Shocked, he looked down at me. I met his mismatched eyes, one blue, one green, and glared at him. "Why, Seth, why?" I hissed. "What did you _do?"_

Seth did something very bad.

The voice was back, clawing at the inside of my eyeballs. If I could picture the voice as a thing, I would have drawn a little skinny goblin curled up inside my skull. It would have long, sharp talons. The voice hurt, but I knew it was saying the truth. Maybe it hurt _because_ it was the truth.

Seth did something very bad.

"I was a thief, Karleigh," he whispered gently. I glared harder at him. That didn't seem very bad to me. Sheesh, I can't believe I just thought that. The media has definitely softened my views on crime. "I stole from a lot of good people, and I stole things I didn't need." He swallowed painfully and put his hands on my shoulders. I let his collar go and regarded him suspiciously.

He gave my shoulders a good hard squeeze. "I've stolen things that I've never been prosecuted for. Other people have died for my crimes, Karleigh." He didn't hesitate in adding, "Innocent people." He obviously knew that what he had done was wrong.

But something else was wrong too. "You're not guilty," I mumbled. He smiled at me and let me go. I stared at him for a second. _He's disgusting. _"You don't _care _that those people died," I went on, cocking my head to one side. A startled look crossed his face. "You're _smug! _You're _proud_ that you got away with that crap! You don't feel the slightest bit of remorse for what you've done!" I was yelling now, fists clenched at my sides.

He shook his head. "I am sorry, Karleigh, very, very sorry. I never wanted anyone to die, I promise." He _looked _sad. His eyes _looked_ genuine. But, then again, a less than a day ago his eyes had both looked blue.

Seth did something very bad!

The voice was shrill. The invisible goblin's talons would have pierced my eyes if he had been real. "You're not sorry for the bad thing!" I screamed hysterically. "You're not sorry for the bad thing!" I wasn't even sure what I was talking about. The words were coming out unbidden. I started shaking. I had to get out of here before he asked me what the hell I was talking about. I spun around and ran blindly down the corridor. Had to find Jareth!

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Lady Rachelle pressed her hand to her heart. _Seth still isn't sorry for sleeping with that woman, _she thought, turning her head to the fire. The thought came out of the depths of her mind. She delicately bit her tongue. Her attention for the moment was pulled off of Jareth. Seth was almost hers, but he still wasn't sorry for being with someone else. He didn't care enough about her to be sorry for that.

Jareth leaned back. The smile would not leave his face. He nodded absently towards the door. It opened, revealing the goblin, who panicked and scuttled into the hallway. Jareth could hear his servant's frantic footsteps echoing on the marble floors as it rushed to give the signal that the dear Lady had said something rather revealing.

_'What else would I have been doing, Jareth?'_ was the easiest admission he had ever gotten out of anyone. And over the millennia, many, many people had broken the rules of the Labyrinth. It had taken him days to get confessions out of some of them. Some of them never confessed. But it was so much easier to punish someone and let the Labyrinth have its petty revenge if the person admitted to breaking the rules.

'Petty revenge' might not have been the right word for what happened to those people. The right word might have been gruesome, bloody, sadistic, grisly, macabre, twisted, perverted, or 'OHDEARGODTHEHUMANITY!!!,' but Jareth wouldn't really know. He never allowed himself to witness the punishment, and he had the goblins clean up the remains. If they complained about it afterwards, and they always did, he banished them to the Bog of Eternal Stench.

Strangely enough they all seemed happier there.

The goblin's footsteps faded. Jareth took a deep breath. He knew what would be coming next, and he did not want to be around for it. "Lady Rachelle," he said, standing. She nodded vaguely, still entranced by the fire, but aware enough to notice that Jareth was speaking to her. "My lady," he continued, bowing slightly, "I must attend to something for a moment. But, please, remain here until I can send someone for you. My," he hesitated, "...messenger will tell you what to do when he... it... gets here."

Rachelle yawned. "Of course, Jareth, but it had better not be one of those filthy goblins," she muttered, settling down into a chair. She was tired. The magic she'd used on Karleigh had taken a lot of energy out of her. And hacking through the defense systems of the Labyrinth was a taxing task. It was a wonder she hadn't already fainted from exhaustion. "Send me one of your pages..." she mumbled, eyes closing. "Or Seth," she added eagerly.

Jareth cringed. If Lady Rachelle had been human, surely by now she would have been put in a nice little institution somewhere because of this obsession of hers. The past year, while Seth was Aboveground with Karleigh, had been absolute hell. Rachelle had been depressed almost the entire time. She took out a great deal of her depression on her dear old friend Jareth.

Hunting expeditions, gladiatorial combats, necromancy ceremonies, operas... what _hadn't _he been dragged to over the past year? And of course, an Underground year is longer than an Aboveground one. Painfully longer, Jareth reflected. "I will not send Seth," he told Rachelle firmly.

Her eyes opened. She frowned. "But I want to see him. And it's not like he's _doing _anything," she said. Not unless Jareth had given him a mission or something. "Oh dear, you haven't already turned him into a spy, have you, Jareth?" Rachelle asked, propping her chin up on her hand.

Laughing, Jareth once again resisted the urge to punch Rachelle. Turn Seth into a spy! The thought was ludicrous. Seth had been out of practice for too long. He would make a horrible spy. "Of course not, my dear lady," the Goblin King assured her, smiling.

"Good," Rachelle purred. "Because, you know, he'll be _mine _when Karleigh condemns him. Which she will." Lady Rachelle had been given sufficient time to build up her ego. She no longer believed it was even a possibility that her magic could have failed. Karleigh was either in the castle presently or would arrive soon. "I'll give him a room near mine," she mused, falling into a daydream.

Despite his longing to get out of there before his little surprise showed up, Jareth couldn't resist a small battle. "Seth never signed that contract, Rachelle," he pointed out.

Rachelle's stare would have made even the great Attila the Hun fall to the floor, blubbering and begging for his life to be spared. In several different languages. But Jareth was not Attila the Hun. He wasn't a Hun at all. He coolly returned Rachelle's stare with one of his own, which could have chopped Alexander the Great off his horse. If he had been alive, on a horse, andin the room. Which he wasn't. So Jareth's gaze barely affected Rachelle.

"That doesn't mean he won't be mine," Rachelle whispered softly. She wrung her hands together. Seth just had to be hers when Karleigh left. Who else did he have to turn to? Certainly the High Court wouldn't allow him to stay with Jareth. The Goblin King was too powerful, and not above using Seth's old skills to his own advantage. Even if Seth was caught for another crime, there was nothing worse than sending him to be a Muse, and they couldn't do that again. Karleigh's word would bind him to Underground. And the High Court wasn't exactly known for its on-the-spot thinking and creativity. They'd brush off anything Seth did.

"His custody will be left up to the High Court," Jareth intoned. He knew full well that the High Court did not currently feel any love for Lady Rachelle. She caused more trouble than she was worth, in their opinion. Jareth smiled to himself. The custody battle, if there was one, which he doubted, would be long and bloody, and he would win. Besides being a complete bitch, Rachelle drank too much. The High Court never gave custody to the person who drank too much.

_Long and bloody... ah, right._ Jareth shook himself and returned to reality. The thing that the Labyrinth would send after Rachelle to punish her would be coming soon. "But you must excuse me," he said, returning to the original subject. "I really must be going now. Crises can't be averted without the King, you know," he said, grinning.

Rachelle scowled and slid down in her chair, suddenly tired again. She yawned and waved a hand at the Goblin King, not caring any more about the argument. He had a temper. And he had goblins. The High Court would never give custody to someone who had goblins. Or used something called 'The Bog of Eternal Stench' as punishment. Jareth had been raised without spankings. "Go on," she muttered, "get out of here."

Jareth turned around and quickly fled the room. He walked in the opposite direction from where the goblin messenger had gone. He didn't even want to _see _what was coming for Rachelle. It was horrible and ugly and had a nasty habit of killing anything and everything it met eyes with. And it was ugly. Uglier than the goblins. _Which is saying something, _Jareth thought with a wry grin.

He heard a metallic echo and halted. For a moment the urge to turn around and inspect the noise was incredibly powerful. The Goblin King had to use every inch of his willpower to force himself down the remaining length of hallway. Especially when the second and third echoes came.

Jareth grudgingly continued, battering himself with reminders of what would happen if he gave into temptation and turned around. It would be worse, he strongly suspected, than when Sarah declared that he had no power over her. And _that _had been the most painful moment in Jareth's entire life. So far, anyway.

Jareth closed his eyes as he rounded the corner. No use in risking seeing the cause of the fourth echo. As soon as he was around the corner, he felt safe enough to stop and lean up against the wall. He closed his eyes and changed his casual outfit into the black one he had worn when he revealed his true form to Sarah for the first time. It was grander and more intimidating than the movie costumers had managed to make it.

He reached out his hand and summoned a crystal. A fifth echo. He scowled. It was now or never, if he really did not want to give into temptation. Taking a deep breath, he sent himself to Karleigh.

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Karleigh ran down the hallway. Seth gritted his teeth and ran after her, in the back of his mind pleased with how easy his stride had become. But other things preoccupied most of his mind. What had gotten into the girl? Maybe Rachelle had really put magic into her, despite the myriad of dangers it would entail. It would certainly account for this mood swing. Startled, confused, and embarrassed one moment, it hadn't taken his precious author long to erupt into seemingly unprovoked rage.

"Karleigh _wait up!" _He yelled, tackling her even as he yelled it. The two rolled to the floor. Karleigh started kicking at him, screaming at him to stop touching her. He felt his own anger boil again. He'd been with her for a long year. Had she forgotten all the times he'd touched her? Hadn't she never tried to push him away? "Stop it, Karleigh," he ordered, grabbing a firm hold on her arms.

This was new for both of them. The farthest either had gone with each other during combat was pillow fighting. Actual struggle was a shocking thing. Made even more shocking by how easily Seth found subduing her to be. Was the Labyrinth making him stronger, or was Karleigh just completely lacking in upper body strength? It was so _easy _to push her arms down to the cold floor. What was scarier than that, though, was the power kick he was getting from it.

Adrenaline-fueled, she tried as hard as she could to break away from her Muse, which only made him angrier. How many times had she welcomed his touch? Found his arms comforting, even? _What the fucking hell has gotten into her? _Seth wondered, glad that he had pinned her to the floor. "Get off of me!" she shrieked. "Get the hell off of me!" Scowling, Seth straddled her. He wouldn't be shouted at like this. Karleigh started to really panic. Desperate and terrified, she cried out for help. "Jareth!" she screamed. "Somebody help!"

Seth couldn't take it any longer. He let go of one of Karleigh's arms and slapped her.

She instantly quieted. Seth pinned her arm back down and lowered his face to hers. "Stop it," he commanded. She shrank a little. "Do not," he hissed, touching noses with her, "do not _ever _try and tell me when I can touch you and when I can't. I am a _Fae. _You're human. You _cannot _suddenly whip around and decide that you're allergic to me."

If she hadn't been so frightened, Karleigh would have smiled at that. It was a good line. But she was scared, and she closed her eyes to brace herself for whatever was coming next. Seth had never hit her before. If that didn't bring home that he was real, nothing would. In fact, no one had ever hit her before. It was a new experience all together. What had her health classes told her to do when she was in this situation?

Well, not _this _situation. Her health classes had never told her what to do if she was attacked by her Muse in the castle beyond the Goblin City. If they had she would have been a little worried about her teacher's mental state.

But hadn't there been something similar? The only thing she could think of was the date rape situation. Which she didn't want to think of at all, really. It would be better for Seth to be Sethrida than for him to be a full-fledged male, furious with her, pinning her to the ground. With no one around to hear her screaming. What had the health book said about _that?_

Oh, right, stay calm.

Ha.

In reality Seth wasn't sure what he wanted to do now that he'd finished berating Karleigh. Somehow it didn't seem appropriate to just climb off her and continue their conversation where they'd left off. She'd called out for _Jareth! _Damn it all to hell and back! How could she do that? Yes, okay, he had been wrong in slapping her, he admitted to himself. But it had worked. She'd quit screaming at him. Still, there was no reason for her to think he was going to do anything that warranted crying out for _Jareth's _help.

Keeping his face close to hers, he whispered, "I am sorry for striking you. You were getting out of hand." He took a deep breath and contentedly noticed Karleigh's perfume, something like vanilla and sugar. He had never noticed that before. It was nice. He sighed and shook himself. Now he had finally calmed down enough to release his grip on her. He sat cross-legged next to her while she sputtered and tried to regain her breath. It would only take a moment to ask the question he wanted to ask, but she'd probably scream at him again.

He glanced down at her. Her hair was spilling over her face, and her shirt and already short shorts were riding up. He took a deep, calming breath and gently helped her sit up. As soon as she was breathing normally, he bent forward and whispered his question in her ear. "Is that a new perfume?"

Stunned, she froze. Seth took another breath, and smelled the same pleasing scent he had a few seconds prior. If it wasn't new, then he figured he was the blindest, stupidest male on the entire planet, Aboveground and Underground both included, and deserved whatever bruises Karleigh had left him with from their little struggle.

"Seth," Karleigh whispered. "Seth, you're scaring me." She looked at him, shaking and obviously horrified. Seth being a man, of course, he didn't consider for a second that it was his question that was making her act this way.

He looked at her tenderly. "I had you for a whole year," he murmured, "and I never once took advantage of it."

Karleigh's heart was pounding painfully against her ribcage. Took advantage of their time together? What in heaven's name was he talking about? He had just _slapped _her! Where was this sappy spew coming from? Now he was holding, no, _cradling _her against his chest. "What are you talking about, Seth?" she asked in a hushed voice. _He_ had _her _for a whole year? Wasn't the author supposed to be in charge of the Muse? She never remembered reading anything where the Muse was the commanding force in the relationship.

"Karleigh," he murmured. He stared at her for a second.

Karleigh began to cry. She curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around herself. Nothing was fair. She didn't remember the question she was supposed to ask Seth, and she didn't have the energy to get up and laugh in Jareth's face about defeating his Labyrinth. The layout of the castle started to slip from her mind. Seth had hit her and practically kissed her in the span of five minutes. Cold sweat was oozing out of the spot where her neck had been hurt earlier.

Behind her back, Jareth popped into existence. He looked down at Seth's figure, and frowned. The Fae was brooding. He shifted his gaze towards Karleigh, and his frown deepened. Perhaps he hadn't been bluffing when he'd said Rachelle's magic had gone bad. This was not someone who was exuberant about conquering the biggest challenge they had ever been presented with.

He was about to call out for Seth to explain what was going on when Karleigh decided to speak.

"I want to go _home,_" she moaned, tears spilling down her face. "I just want to go _home!"_

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Author's Note: Aw, now I've gone and made myself sad. Why did I go and do a thing like that? Sigh. Well, Nano has been... argh. Don't even ask. _And _I have a stupid project on Magellan to do. Timeline, an essay, and a brochure! I hate Magellan. Okay, well... hmm... hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in about three weeks. Maybe less if I really motor.

**BlueyChan,** Wow, I've contributed to your delinquency. Another goal to check off of my list. Hehe thanks so much for the review! **Mab, Queen of Faerie,** ah, yes, unfortunately November. I wish I was more motivated. Thanks for reviewing my story again.

**Princess-RainbowRose,** ah, did you like this chapter? Am I being excessively cruel to you? Haha it's just so much fun... and yet so depressing. It has to get happy soon, right? But then again, I thought that before I learned the end of Romeo and Juliet, too. But then again, who loves Shakespeare? There's a cryptic enough clue for you. Yes, I yelled at Jareth. But he yelled back, and quite frankly he was better at it. _Le sigh. _Haha. Thanks for reviewing!

**Moonjava,** Thanks for the compliment! And, of course, the review. Sorry for the wait. **Lady Moofin,** Oh... I felt really bad when I read your review. Cause I already knew what I had planned for _this _chapter. Thanks for making me feel guilty! And the lovely review.

**Fou Fou,** ooh, I'm ignoring a project too! Yay procrastination! I like keeping Seth stupid. It's more painful that way, don't you think? Ah well he has to find out eventually. Thanks for the review, hope the next wait won't be as long as this one was. **sych77,** you always start your reviews out so elegantly. It's a real skill. Wow. I don't even work one job. Much applause to the Great Multitasker. Loved the review, thanks!


	13. Crime and Punishment

Kerist: Before you start throwing things at me, I do have a good reason for taking so long to get this out! My AP teacher gave me a HUGE project to work on, and then just when I was finishing it my Language Arts teacher gave us a group project, which took up an entire weekend, and then I had to study for finals, and then I had to TAKE finals, and then I really needed to sleep. But we had two weeks for vacation, so I finally had time to work on it.

Although it took a while, cause I got caught up in an _I Love the 80's _and _I Love the 80's Strikes Back! _marathon.

Okay. You can throw things now. ::hides behind a chair::

**Disclaimer: **The only legal dealings going on here are that I sold my soul to the Labyrinth, and it got lost. So much for visitation rights.

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"I want to go _home,_" Karleigh moaned, tears spilling down her face. "I just want to go _home!"_

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Rachelle stirred from the light slumber she had slipped into. Scowling, she rubbed at her eyes. "That must have been a nightmare," she muttered to herself, slowly standing up. The fire was still burning in the fireplace, but Lady Rachelle wasn't expert enough to tell from the size of it how much time had passed. She guessed at least an hour, although it had been about one minute.

She shivered a little. Sighing, she decided to use the rest of her magic to change into something warmer than the thin frock she was wearing. Karleigh was most likely home by now, so there wasn't any more cause for Rachelle to use her magic. She could recover while she talked to a lawyer about Seth's custody hearing. With a wave of her hand, the thin gown transformed into a v-necked, ankle-length green dress. Rachelle pulled the hairpins out of her long black hair and let it fall down onto her shoulders. It was time she go and have Jareth call for one of her carriages. Her lawyer would never come into the Goblin Kingdom. Yawning, she turned around.

She screamed.

"Get out of here! I'm not the one you want!" she shrieked, stumbling backwards. Her eyes were wide with terror, fixed on the dominating figure that filled the doorway. The very basic Fae instincts within her told her what that thing was. Why, oh why, had she used up the rest of her magic to do something as stupid as changing her clothes? "Get out of here!" she screamed again, looking around for anything she could defend herself with.

The creature took a step forward, its movements making a metallic echo. Rachelle shuddered. The legs of the thing were metal. Iron, to be exact. So were its hands. The rest of it was very much flesh and blood, but Rachelle knew she wouldn't have the strength to try and harm it once those iron hands were wrapped around her. _Iron, _she thought, _why did it have to be iron?_

She cowered in front of the fire and whimpered as it approached. She couldn't look at it: the thing's face was twisted and contorted into something horrific. It walked slowly and with a lot of difficulty. Rachelle tried to clear her throat and call out for Jareth, but she was paralyzed. The thing was only a step away from her when she got the idea to grab one of the logs from the fire.

Without a second thought, Lady Rachelle plunged her hand into the flames. The heat licked at her delicate fingers, making her gasp in pain. But magic could always heal the bruises, if the fire could help her stop this thing long enough for her to get out of the room. It took a moment before her hand connected with the logs, but when it did, she smiled, wrapped her fingers around the wood, and pulled as hard as she could. She planned the throw the burning thing at the creature and run for her life.

It would've worked if they hadn't been gas logs.

The piece of wood she had latched onto wasn't really wood. "No!" she whispered, tugging on it again. But it was fused with the other pseudo-logs and would not budge. Letting out a heart-wrenching moan, she pulled her hand out of the fire and the pain kicked in. _Ow ow ow ow ow shit! _The pain was definitely bad, but not enough to make her scream. She bit her lip and took deep, gasping breaths.

The creature bent down and effortlessly picked up Rachelle. Its iron fingers practically crushed her in their grip as it turned around and slowly plodded towards the door. The pain from the burn was nothing compared to the sting of that iron on Rachelle's bare arms. "Oh dear God!" Rachelle screeched, just before passing out from the aching in her bones. They felt like they were melting.

The creature laughed. It walked through the door, still holding Rachelle. On the way out the woman's head banged against the doorframe, hard. The creature disregarded this and walked down the hallway in the direction it had come, dragging Rachelle along the floor. Her clipped head left a tiny trail of smeared blood to mark their path.

The thing rounded the corner and proceeded to walk down a flight of stairs. It didn't bother lifting Rachelle as it did this, so her head bounced on every hard stone step. When she woke up she was going to have one hell of a headache. And that would be before she met the creature's master.

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Seth clamped a hand over Karleigh's mouth. "Do _not _say that," he hissed. Karleigh batted uselessly at his arm. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. "You don't mean that," he told her, quietly. "You have over twelve days left... you don't need to go home yet," he murmured. He wanted to get everything sorted out with the High Court before he was whisked back to Aboveground with Karleigh. It would be extremely difficult to get anything done from Aboveground, even with Jareth as his go-between. Communicating between the two worlds was a huge pain in the ass, and Seth wanted to get it done with while he was still Underground.

Jareth cleared his throat. It wasn't exactly how he'd been looking forward to announcing his presence. "Ahem," he said. Seth, his hand still muffling Karleigh's protests, looked up at him. "Hello, Jareth," he said, smiling. "You didn't just hear that, did you?" he asked, sweetly.

Jareth looked sadly at his friend. "Stand her up, Seth," he said. The blood drained out of Seth's face. He stared at Jareth for a moment, in the hopes that the Goblin King would change his mind. Jareth remained impassive. Seth was forced to stand, although he kept his arms around Karleigh.

Her mouth finally freed, she started yelling. "I beat your stupid Labyrinth, Jareth!" she yelled, fuming. "You gave me _way _too much time, Goblin King," she said, narrowing her eyes. "If you had just given me thirteen hours I would've lost, but no, you had to be cocky," she murmured, calming down a little bit. "I beat the Labyrinth," she said again, leaning up against Seth, "So let me go home."

Jareth bowed to her. "I must admit, I underestimated you," he said. Karleigh looked at him suspiciously, not ready to accept that he would be so cordial in the face of defeat. "However," he said, standing back up. Karleigh bit her lip nervously. Jareth smiled at her, and glanced over her shoulder at Seth, who was very confused. "You have not beat my Labyrinth… yet."

Karleigh froze, her eyes wide. Seth let out a sigh of relief. Jareth mentally applauded himself for his remarkable sense of showmanship. He let a suitable pause pass, time enough for Karleigh to fully digest this news, before continuing. He motioned for Seth to step away, and the Muse reluctantly complied, backing up until he hit a wall. Jareth began slowly circling Karleigh, his black boots making hard clicks against the floor. "Karleigh," he said in a threatening tone, "you may have reached the castle beyond the goblin city, but you have not even come close to defeating the Labyrinth."

Karleigh's knees began to shake. "What're you talking about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Seth, staring at the floor, had a tiny but very smug smirk on his face. He was getting his wish. Jareth would give Karleigh some task that would take at least two days to finish, and then the king would have sufficient time to get Seth's powers back and have the Muse's citizenship issues worked out.

"I am talking about the cowardly way you teamed up with that charlatan," Jareth hissed, increasing his pace. His black cloak billowed out behind him, and he clasped his hands behind his back. "Karleigh you should be ashamed of yourself," he spat, "you couldn't even get halfway through my Labyrinth without the aid of magic." Jareth was definitely having a drama queen moment. Karleigh was trembling, she was so frightened, and Jareth was soaking it up. "I will not stand for anyone who has the impudence to think that I can be fooled by such means."

"I didn't know," Karleigh whispered, shrinking.

Jareth laughed grimly. "You didn't know," he mocked, sneering at her. "You just thought that this nice woman who had grown up in the Labyrinth and knew every twist of the place was running around just looking for you," he went on, rolling his eyes. _"Why," _he asked, stopping in front of Karleigh, "did you think I would let someone like that out while you were running? Did you _honestly _believe that it was _all right _for this woman to just _give you _all this knowledge?" His voice was critical and had an undercurrent of insults running through it.

Seth had stopped smiling. He was happy that he was getting what he'd wished for, but he could tell from Karleigh's body language that she was about to have an episode. Seth had a year of experience with teenage girls. He knew how they behaved from watching Karleigh and her friends, and he knew how they responded to the kind of talk Jareth was giving. He looked at his old friend and offered up a silent prayer to protect him. Jareth had entered into dangerous territory, without any knowledge of his opponent.

When Karleigh looked up, her eyes were brimming with tears. This was somewhat of a misleading sign, as the teardrops belied the deeper and far more dangerous anger that was boiling just below the surface. Jareth was a little disarmed, though he didn't show it. After all, he was Fae. How dangerous could a weepy human teenage girl be?

Jareth puffed himself up. "What do your human teachers do when someone cheats on a test, Karleigh?" he asked.

Karleigh took a deep breath to steady herself. "They give us a zero and we get suspended," she mumbled.

Jareth chuckled. "Well, by comparison I think that I am being generous," he said, resuming his pacing. Karleigh followed his progress out of the corner of her eye. She was trying to hold back until Jareth had doled out whatever punishment he saw fit. "You have cheated, Karleigh," Jareth said, "and that means this run of the Labyrinth is void. This means - "

"I _know _what _void _means," Karleigh growled.

Jareth glared at her. "This means," he continued, "that in order to get your precious Muse back, you will have to take another run at the Labyrinth. And this one," he said, coming to rest in front of Karleigh again, as he met her eyes and gave her a cold stare, "will be ten times harder than the last." He smiled sadistically. "You'll be sent to an oubliette, and Hogbrain won't be there to help you. If by some miracle you manage to get out, you'll have to work your way through the worst section of the Labyrinth to get back here."

"If you thought that Firey Forest was bad, Karleigh dear, you have no idea. That movie was only rated PG, and the Labyrinth is very much rated R," Jareth said. Karleigh tried very hard not to burst out laughing. In fact, so did Seth, and he had a little more trouble holding it in than Karleigh. The movie had left out a lot. It had just been too painful for the writers to put in the parts where Jareth thought he was being funny and clever. Many of Jareth's lines had been dreamed up solely by the writers. "Being ruler of a kingdom as large as this calls for special rooms, Karleigh. There is a place in this Labyrinth to bring out every fear ever imagined."

"Even yours?" Karleigh asked, blinking away her tears. She would not show any more weakness by raising her hands to wipe the water out of her eyes. She glanced at Seth over Jareth's shoulder. Her Muse was watching the display intently. He was still slumped against the wall, though, and the huge wine stain on his shirt detracted from his appearance somewhat. Karleigh found herself looking at her eyes. She still couldn't believe that they weren't both blue.

Jareth glared at her. "I believe I have more important things to do than listen to an impertinent little brat like you disrespect me," he hissed. He drew himself up to his full height and raised his hand in the air. He was preparing to open up a hole in the floor and have Karleigh drop down to a particularly horrible oubliette. This he was ready for, explaining to Seth afterwards that it was necessary to do this was another matter entirely.

"Hold on for just a second," Karleigh said acidly, cocking her head to the side. She'd just remembered something she was supposed to do. Jareth spread his arms in an expectant gesture, for the moment putting off her departure. "What if I don't want my precious Muse back?"

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_You don't want to take Seth back home with you._

"What if I don't want my precious Muse back?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I still couldn't believe that thing he'd said about me being a coward. How was I supposed to know that it was cheating when that woman told me how to solve the Labyrinth? Hoggle helped Sarah. Shouldn't Jareth have been able to keep people like that out of the Labyrinth, if he considered getting help from them cheating? "What if I don't want my precious Muse back, Jareth?" I asked again. It wasn't exactly how the voice inside my head was phrasing it, but it worked. I guess I didn't need to write it down after all.

Seth stepped away from the wall. I stiffened. He'd hit me, and I didn't trust him anymore. _But, _I thought, and I was thinking it because the mental voice sounded like my own, _Seth should be happy. The Labyrinth is a couple of steps up from my neighborhood. And he'd be with his good friend, Jareth._ The look on Seth's face wasn't as disbelieving as Jareth's though. The Goblin King frowned, and I thought I heard him mutter something like, "The spell was supposed to be broken."

_Ignore him. He's not in his right mind, _the other voice said. I scratched my head absentmindedly. I wasn't sure that I was in _my _right mind, but I didn't have the strength of will to argue with the voice. Jareth took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Karleigh," he said, "you have twelve days and twenty-one hours left."

The floor dropped out from underneath me.

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Malferz tapped her riding crop against the arm of her throne. It was her favorite one, real leather, and she'd finally had time to sneak it back from Jareth. She blew a strand of her long honey-colored hair out of her face. Her hair reached down to her waist, and softened the appearance of the leather armor she wore over her maroon dress, which stopped at her knees. Sighing, she leaned forward in her chair and stared at the floor.

"This. Is. Taking. Forever." she moaned, rolling her eyes. At first glance, her eyes were both the same color. But upon further inspection, one could see that her left eye was fiery red while the other was more of a scarlet. Malferz's father was Fae, but her mother was a fire demon. Among the things she'd inherited from her mother were fire magic, a slight pyromania, a face that could make even men like Jareth drool, and immunity to iron. That last one was very useful.

She stood up and walked into the middle of the room. The architecture was Gothic. The best adjective to describe the room was cavernous. At one end was the throne, at the other a set of double wooden doors that nearly reached the ceiling. On all the walls hung torture devices taken from every era of history. Most were made of iron. Malferz liked iron. It scared the hell out of those high and mighty full blooded Fae that populated the nicer neighborhoods of Underground. Whenever Malferz had to go into Fae court, which was often, she made a point to carry one of her iron weapons with her.

She smiled as she looked around the room. _Watching Fae squirm is so much fun, _she thought. Her pleasure quickly faded, though, as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Where is that stupid Nor," she muttered, anxiously tapping her foot on the hard stone floor. Nor was her assistant. He had bones of iron, helpful, but a brain the size of a peanut. He was slow, physically as well as mentally, and Malferz had a short fuse when it came to waiting. Unfortunately for her, with Nor, there was a lot of waiting to be done.

"I'm just waiting," she sang, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Waiting… for a million years," her voice rang out deeply to no recognizable tune, "when Nor shows up I'll hit him till I see tears!" She rocked a little too far backwards and fell flat on her behind. "Crap," she muttered, rubbing her backside. Across the room, the door opened, and Nor walked in, carrying Rachelle over his shoulder. Malferz jumped up, her tanned face flushing with embarrassment. "Nor, you bumbling idiot!" she hissed, clenching her fists at her sides. Good, terrifying first impressions were difficult to make when you were laying down on the floor in pain. "You had to walk in on me at the worst possible moment!" She stormed over to Nor, who was scratching his head, confused. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock?" she demanded, holding out her arms. She'd just noticed Rachelle's eyes were closed, and she felt stupid for yelling at Nor.

Nor shrank a little under his mistress's harsh stare. "Sorry, Mally," he mumbled in a booming voice. He pulled Rachelle off his shoulders and handed the unconscious woman to Malferz.

Malferz rolled her eyes. "I cannot _believe _Jareth stuck me with somebody who calls me _Mally,_" she muttered, turning towards her throne. She looked around the room, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "What should we do with this piece of work, Nor?" she asked, eyes scanning the various empty places on the walls reserved for her special guests.

Nor looked around too. "How about… the death bed?" he asked.

There was a table near her throne with a bunch of little holes in it, which Nor called 'Mally's death bed.' Malferz had stolen it from a morgue the last time she'd been Aboveground. "That will do nicely," she said, smiling. Nor laughed, a deep rumbling chortle that made Malferz shake her head. "You can go guard the doors now, Nor," she said, walking towards the table.

As Nor shut the doors behind him, Malferz dropped Rachelle down on the autopsy table. It wasn't made of iron, but it was still one of Malferz's favorites. She had always been fond of dissecting things, ever since that biology course she had taken in school. Humming to herself, she clamped Rachelle's ankles and wrists down in the iron bands she had welded on after getting the table. "There," she said, wiping her hands on her skirt, "that'll hold the little bitch down."

Running her hands through her honey-colored hair, she looked critically at Rachelle, comparing the full blooded Fae's beauty to her own. "Mmm…" she said, taking a lock of Rachelle's black hair in her hand. She stared at the stands for a minute, before finally taking a pair of scissors out of her pocket. She twirled them around her fingers and neatly cut the lock of hair at the scalp. Humming again, she threw the hair to the floor, along with the scissors.

"Black hair makes women look pale," she said to herself. She looked at Rachelle's makeup, carefully applied and expensively bought. "She looks like a clown," Malferz said, shaking her head. She skipped over to a wall that had a tiny hole in it. She picked up a sponge off the floor and held it beneath the hole, and then she pressed a brick on the wall. Water shot out of the hole and the sponge soaked it up.

She skipped back over to Rachelle. Water dripped off the sponge onto the full-blooded Fae's delicate face. Malferz smiled to herself and filled a busy minute wiping off the other woman's makeup. She was a little deterred when Rachelle turned out to look much the same without makeup as she did with. Frowning, she bit her tongue and tilted her head to the side.

"Well, she's boring," Malferz muttered. "But look at that dress. That must've cost an arm and a leg," she said, feeling the soft silk. She tapped her fingers against the cold table. "Green isn't really my color, but…" she sighed and pulled a hair band out of a corner of her armor. She tied up her long hair. "Oh well. By the time I'm done," she said, fingering the point of the dagger hanging at her waist, "it'll be too messy to wear, anyway."

Rachelle moaned and opened her eyes. One blue, one purple. Malferz threw her hands up in the air. "A Fae, of course," she said. "Only a Fae would knowingly break the rules of the Labyrinth."

Lady Rachelle tugged at her restraints. "Who are you?" she asked, weakly. "What are you doing to me? Let me go!" she cried, trying to sit up. Her wrists and ankles hurt like hell. "Where's that hideous thing that had the gall to kidnap me?" she asked. She wasn't even giving Malferz a chance to answer her. Malferz crossed her arms over her chest. _One, two, three, _she thought. Rachelle glared at her. "What, are you deaf? Why aren't you saying anything?" _Four, five, six, _Malferz went on. Rachelle moaned again. "Get these stupid things off me, quick, before that horrible creature comes back!" she yelled. _Seven, eight, nine, ten._

"You're Lady Rachelle, aren't you?" Malferz asked, putting her hand on Rachelle's forehead. She pushed the woman back down on the table and walked over to the wall. "I've heard Jareth talk about you," she said, taking a mace off its hook. Rachelle whimpered. Malferz swung the mace around in an easy, practiced circle. "He said you were an overbearing, egotistical bitch who just can't leave him alone," she said, looking over her shoulder at Rachelle. "Do you have a crush on him or something?" she asked, still twirling the mace.

Rachelle couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Me and _Jareth?_" she asked, snorting. The iron made her joints ache but the notion that Malferz had proposed was just too funny. "No! My man is Seth," she said, and her eyes unfocused as she slipped into another day dream. Malferz rolled her eyes. She took the dagger out of her pocket and flicked her wrist in Rachelle's direction. The dagger landed in Rachelle's hair, just an inch from her face.

"I know Seth," Malferz said, hanging the mace back on the wall. She turned around and put her hands on her hips, and smiled at Rachelle. "I've met Seth before," she said, walking over to the table. She sat down on the corner and crossed her legs. Rachelle growled at her. "He talked about you too," Malferz said, leaning back on her hands. She smirked at Rachelle. "He said you were a good fuck."

"Seth would never say that about me!" Rachelle screamed. Malferz laughed. Rachelle's eyes filled up with water, and she sobbed a little. "Seth loves me!" Rachelle protested. She really believed it, too, which was the pathetic thing.

Malferz doubled over. _"Love?" _she asked between snorts. _"Seth? Love? You?" _She pressed her hands over her face while she tried to catch her breath. "You tried to have him put on death row! He _hates _you!" Malferz said. She was laughing so hard now she fell off the table. She rolled around on the floor, hugging herself. Her ribs ached, she was laughing so hard. It infuriated Rachelle.

The Lady tried to slip her wrists out of her bonds. "Oh, I bet I know who you are!" she hissed, her eyes blazing. She wanted nothing more than to rip the honey-colored hair out of the woman's scalp. She'd seen strands of hair that color before, and she'd just remembered when and where.

After a moment Malferz managed to regain control of herself. She thought about what Rachelle had said and closed her eyes. "Yes," she said, standing back up. This was going to be fun. She walked around the table and stood next to Rachelle's head. She twisted her ponytail around her hand. "I think it is about time we were introduced," she said, taking Rachelle's hand in her free one. She shook it politely. "I am Malferz. Seth and I were lovers during the trial."

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Seth dashed over to the hole that Karleigh had just dropped through. He and Jareth stood at its edge, staring down into the black depths, for a few minutes. Seth was thinking that it was amazing he didn't hear Karleigh's fading scream of terror. Finally Jareth cleared his throat, and the hole closed up. "Well," Jareth said, running his tongue over his pointed canines, "we have some work to do."

Seth glared at him. "You did _not _have to do that," he said coldly.

"Yes I did and you know it," Jareth said. He clapped Seth on the shoulder and shook his head. At a loss for anything else to say, he walked down the hallway, feeling a little dazed. "We need to write that letter to the High Court before Karleigh gets it into her head to call me down there. I think Judge Raphael would be the best one to appeal to, since he's newly appointed, and a liberal, so he won't be a fan of the punishment you've gotten," he said. He kept walking for a moment, before he realized he didn't hear Seth's footsteps next to him. He turned around to see the Muse staring at the spot in the floor that had swallowed Karleigh up. "You can't open it," he called.

Seth kicked the tile. "I don't know," he said, eyes narrowed. "But how do you know she won't call for me?" he asked.

Jareth sighed quietly and walked back to Seth. He kicked the tile too. "Doesn't work like that," he said softly. Seth took a deep breath and clenched his fists at his sides. Jareth put his hand on the Muse's shoulder. "She's still under Rachelle's spell, you know that, don't you?" Jareth asked. Seth shrugged and kicked the tile again. It dropped, revealing the hole. Jareth looked at Seth with wide eyes.

Seth flexed his fingers. "The things I can do with Karleigh…" he said, smiling a little. "I can do here." He looked up at Jareth and reached out his hand. "I know this isn't your fault. But I have to do something. I'll be back as soon as possible," he said. Jareth reached out and shook his hand. Seth smiled. "You know I don't need to jump," he said.

And he vanished.

Jareth snapped his fingers and the hole closed up. He rolled his eyes and started walking in the direction of his library again. "Show off," he muttered.

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I opened my eyes and sat up. I was laying on a cold stone floor, in complete darkness. My head ached. I reached up and put my hand in my hair, and felt slick hot blood. I moaned and drew my knees up to my chest. Jareth warned me that this was going to be harder than the first time around, but I hadn't really been taking him seriously. Blood, more than had come out of all the cuts on my legs, was now coming out of my head. I never read anything about medicine, and I didn't know what to do about it.

"Oh, Kar, what the hell happened to you?" Seth whispered in my ear. His hands moved mine away from my head, and he quickly applied pressure to the cut. I tried to make out his figure in the dark, but I couldn't see anything. I reached out and my hand found Seth's shoulder. I pulled myself up and he cradled me against his chest. "Hold still now," he murmured. My face was buried in his shirt, but I could tell when the room lit up.

"How did you get here?" I asked, my voice muffled.

Seth put his hands on my waist and I could sit back. "Magic," he said, running his thumb over my lips. His skin was covered in my blood. I reached up and patted my scalp. No cut. I looked at Seth, startled. He smiled. "Magic again," he said, rubbing my shoulder. "Are you angry about me touching you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why did you come here?" I asked, softly.

He bent forward and pressed his forehead to mine. This was becoming a habit of his. "Are you angry at me?" he asked. I stared at him for a second, noticing again his one blue eye and one green one. "Yes," I murmured. Seth stroked my back and closed his eyes. "You lied to me," I said. "You lied to me for a whole year. You let me think that you were a figment of my imagination. You let me think that I was going insane. I wanted to go to a therapist, Seth. I wanted to start taking pills. I was scared that you'd tell me to hurt my family and that I'd listen."

Seth kissed my forehead. "I'd never tell you that," he said, pressing my hand to his chest. "I'm real. I think you've known that for a while," he murmured, keeping my hand pressed against him to confirm that he was indeed solid.

"But if you're real…then…." Wasn't he solid, though? He'd always seemed solid. There had never been any trouble when it came to him touching things. And he'd broken a glass once, knocked it off the counter by accident, while I was halfway cross the room. I know I couldn't have broken it and then fooled myself into thinking Seth did it because my brother was standing right there, and he went on for an hour about how the glass had just jumped off the counter. If Seth wasn't real, if he wasn't solid, he couldn't have broken that glass.

I glared at him, suddenly angry again. "You've watched me undress, you pervert!" I said, pushing myself off his lap.

He leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows. "What are you going to do about it, Karleigh?" he asked, smirking.

"Nothing," I said, furiously. "I can't do anything. I'm not… I'm not a Fae. I can't just make you forget what I look like naked," I said, my face flushed. It was bad enough when I was undressing and turned around to see that Seth had popped into the room without announcing himself, but… _Oh, God, he's real!_

_No, he's not, _the little voice in my head whispered. _This is all a dream. And all you have to do to wake up is say that you quit. _I pressed my hands over my ears, but it didn't go away. _This is all a dream. All you have to do to wake up and end it is say that you quit. And then you can go to a therapist and get some pills and make all these delusions go away, and you can be normal again._

Seth pulled my hands away from my ears. "Don't listen to it, Kar," he whispered. "It's a spell. It's lying to you, don't listen to it," he said, putting his arms around me.

I sobbed into his shirt. "But it's so _loud,_" I protested. He smoothed back my hair and gently whispered, "No, no," in my ear for a few seconds. "I'm the only voice you need to be listening to, Kar. Tell that other one to go away."

_Go away, _I screamed mentally. _Go away, get out of my head! You don't belong here!_

It hissed and yelled. It scratched at my eyes. _You don't belong in Seth's arms! Get away from him! Quit, give up!_

_No, _I thought, pressing up against Seth for support. He was murmuring something in a language I didn't understand, and I hoped that it was more magic, because I felt like I needed help. The scratching went on, but the pain started to fade. The claws of the voice lost their sharpness as Seth kept speaking. I closed my eyes and whispered in my head, _I do belong in his arms! I love him! You go away!_

When the voice spoke again it was louder than ever. _You do not love him! I love him!_

_No, _my own voice shrieked. _I do love him! And he loves me! It's you he hates! _I had no idea if that was true, but I was taking it and running. It felt like that would work, and there wasn't any harm in trying.

_I will have to show you, _it said, before fading completely.

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Kerist: Ah, well, that only took forever to write. I'm getting close to the ending, and I've always had trouble with endings. I'm worried that they'll be, especially this one, too sappy or something. Suggestions are welcome!

**The Dragon Sorceress: **Thanks for reviewing.. and sorry that it took so long to come out with 13!

**BlueyChan: **I wish I had two colored eyes too... that'd be cool! Thanks for the review.

**sych77: **Ah... hehe... I did update! After over a month... I will try to make it faster this time. (I always say that though, sigh) Hopefully Rachelle can be punished next chapter, I have a tendency to surprise myself. Thanks for reviewing!

**Lady Moofin: **::giggles:: That was fun. Hope the role didn't offend you or anything... I looked at your profile after your request and I really liked that name, so I decided to use it. Thanks for the review!

**Moonjava: **Yes, turns are good. But endings are bad. I hope I can write a good one. Thanks for reviewing!

**Fou Fou: **Ah well I just have the timing to come out with chapters just as projects get assigned. I guess since I took so long I get a rusty spork and the Bog of Stench. Uh hopefully the next one won't take a month ... hopefully. Thanks for your review!

**Princess-RainbowRose: **Well, I hope you liked this chapter's ending! If you have any suggestions for the story's end, they are very welcome! Sorry again that it took so long. Thanks for reviewing!


	14. Raphael

Author's Note: Ahh! I got this out so quickly! Yay! But now I'm back in school... argh.

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I waited for a moment, to see if the voice would come back. It didn't, and I stood on shaky legs. Seth stood too and brushed himself off. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "That was partially my fault," he said, grimacing. I stared at him blankly, waiting for an explanation. He winced and looked around the oubliette. The ceiling was a little low, and only left an inch above his head. The opening was just above me. The grate was metal, and Seth was avoiding looking at it. "The woman who did that to you… is, uh," he searched for the word, "my ex girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "I _so _should've seen that coming," I muttered. "I have just the luck for my guardian angel to really be my Muse's old flame," I said, staring up at the grate. Seth was just tall enough to open it, hopefully. I could see the walls and they weren't smooth. It wouldn't be too hard to climb them, if there weren't any other secret passages in the oubliette.

"She was jealous of you," Seth said. He walked over to the wall of the oubliette and started knocking on random stones. I watched him for a second before tapping his shoulder. "What are you doing?" I asked. He kept knocking on stones, but now he started tugging on them too. None of them budged. He sighed. "Looking for the way out of here. I've been here. Jareth's babysitter used to stick us in here when we were bad," he said, rubbing his neck.

"I bet you were in here a lot," I said dryly. He glared at me. "Listen," he said, "I can't use my powers to get you out of here, or Jareth will have to send you back. You could help me look for the loose stone." He knocked on another one and dust fell out of the cracks. Smirking, he started to pry it out of the wall. It was slow going. And I wasn't going to help him. I couldn't believe he wasn't going to use his powers. I hadn't been able to solve the Labyrinth the first time without magic, what made him think I could on the second try?

I looked back up at the grate. "Why can't we go that way?" I asked. Seth grunted and stumbled backwards as the stone suddenly came out. He crashed into me, of course, and knocked me flat on the ground. Smiling sheepishly, he turned over and straddled me. "Iron," he said, hands on either side of my face. I glared at him. "Iron hurts Fae, Kar, you know that," he said, cocking his head to the side.

Hmph. "Get off of me," I ordered. He just smirked. I turned red, and tried to push him away. He easily resisted, and bent down so his face was close to mine. "We _do _have almost thirteen days," he purred. "There's enough time to have some fun," he murmured, and his eyes sparkled. I narrowed my eyes and jerked my knee up.

He moaned and rolled over. I stood up and walked over to the hole in the wall, ignoring the pain I'd caused my Muse. He'd opened himself up for the attack. I couldn't help that guys hurt so much when you hit them there. I wasn't God, I didn't design them. Sighing, I put my hands on my hips and stared at the hole. It wasn't very big. "You expect us to get through there?" I asked Seth, tapping my foot against the floor. "My little brother _might _fit through that hole, if he held his breath. You could've fit through there when you were ten, but you're six feet tall now. And I'm bigger than my brother, if you haven't noticed by now." I looked over my shoulder and Seth was still writhing in agony. "Oh come on," I said, rolling my eyes. "I didn't hit you that hard."

He sat up and glared at me. "I was just going to kiss you!" he hissed. I blushed. We stared at each other for a minute before he stood up and walked over to the hole. He bent down and looked through it. "It's not that small. It'll open up for you," he said, standing back up. "Go on, I'll come right after," he said, leaning on the wall next to the hole.

I glared at him. "I am not going through there," I said. I didn't say that I didn't want to go first because I'd have to go in head first, and, well, I didn't want Seth to have that view of me. Unfortunately he'd seen me naked, but I hadn't exactly agreed to those instances, I didn't have to put myself in any other compromising situations. He sighed heavily. "Karleigh," he said, "I will push you through there if you don't go yourself." The threat wasn't enough to budge me. I just stayed standing with my arms over my chest, refusing to move. He couldn't order me around.

Apparently he felt that he could. He took a step forward and picked me up, bridal style. I had to put my arms around his neck to keep from falling, and I didn't like how his hands curled around my knee. I glared at him. "Put me down!" I yelled. He just smiled, which made me even angrier. "I did warn you," he said, bending down a little. He lined my feet up with the hole and pushed me through it. My shoulders bumped against the stones, but he didn't let my head hit anything. I landed safely on the other side without any major injuries. "Move out of the way," Seth called, and I scrambled away from the hole. A second later Seth's head appeared, and was shortly followed by the rest of him.

"You need to start listening to me," he growled. "I grew up here. I know my way around." He turned down the hallway and after a second tripped over a bump in the floor. I cackled with laughter. "_That,_" he said, picking himself up, "is new. Definitely new." He looked at me. "Are you coming?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed.

I pushed myself off the floor and stood up. "Yeah," I muttered. I was thinking about him and that woman, who I now knew had basically screwed me over. She almost won, too. I had basically said that I wanted to go home without Seth, but Jareth had twisted my words around and sent me to repeat my lap of the Labyrinth. Only this time, as he had made perfectly clear, it was going to be much harder. And this time I was stuck with Seth as my guide. And I wasn't sure if he was planning to lead me out, at least not at first. The way he was acting, I half expected him to lead me to a bedroom or something.

We walked for a few minutes down the hallway before I remembered something. "I'm hungry," I said. "I haven't eaten in fifteen hours," and my stomach was killing me. Seth kept walking. "You haven't slept in fifteen hours either," he said, suddenly turning left down a passage I hadn't even noticed. I hurriedly ran after him, and latched onto his arm. "Don't leave me!" I squeaked. He smirked, and I let go of him. Why did he have to be so smug?

"Don't worry," he said, making another sudden turn. I was forced to grab his arm again, since I couldn't predict when he was going to find another invisible hallway. "You're resting before we do anything," he said, putting his arm around my waist. I was immediately suspicious. "What exactly do you mean by resting?" I asked, slowly. He pulled me down another hallway. He was walking with confidence, though I found it hard to believe he knew his way down all these passages. "I mean you're going to take a long nap while I find you some food, Karleigh," he said, gently rubbing my hip. I just stared at him. Go to sleep in this place? He glanced at me and saw the expression on my face. "It's perfectly safe, Karleigh," he said. "I'm a Fae. Nothing will hurt you with me as your guard."

We came to rest in front of a door. Seth opened it, and pushed me into the room beyond. It was a bedroom, decorated in red fabric, with a four-poster bed and an open door that led into a marble bathroom. I turned to look at Seth. "How are you supposed to be my guard if you're leaving to find food?" I asked. Logically, I knew that I had to be tired, although I felt awake. It was probably the spell that woman - Seth's _ex - _had put on me. She couldn't have me fainting from exhaustion or passing out from hunger before I renounced Seth and left him all for her. I couldn't wait to see her again, actually. I had a bone to pick with her.

Seth walked up to me and put his arms around me. "You belong to me, Karleigh," he said softly. He'd implied that before, with his 'I had you for a whole year' spiel. I wanted to kick him but I didn't. It was definitely safer if Seth was on my side. Even though I had a really good opening if I did hit him. His hands slid down and cupped my bottom. I tried to push back but he pulled me close. "I don't know if you understand that. The Labyrinth does, but I don't think you do," he murmured, kissing my neck. The door to the hallway slammed shut, and I knew it was Seth's magic. He'd been closing doors around my house for the past year.

"Don't make Jareth right," I warned him. Jareth had said the Labyrinth was R rated - I didn't want the reason to be my Muse and me. My heart sped up as Seth kissed my chin. "I don't know what you're talking about," he drawled, and from his tone I knew he was lying. He buried his face in my hair for a moment, while taking long, deep breaths. Then he pushed me back. "I had better go. _You _go to sleep, don't worry, I'll wake you up with plenty of time to solve this maze again." He ruffled my hair and walked out of the bedroom, carefully shutting the door behind him. I heard the lock shut, and I moaned and fell back on the bed.

Sighing, I kicked off my shoes and curled up under the covers. I sat up for a few minutes, staring at the door. Seth had kissed me. Really kissed me. It hadn't been teasing. And he'd held me like we'd been together for a while. Which, I guess, we had. But we'd never done anything romantic. _Oh, _I thought. _He so planned walking in on me while I was undressing. _I closed my eyes and leaned backwards.

The instant my head hit the pillow I fell asleep.

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Enraged by Malferz's comment, Rachelle managed to get her hands free of their iron bonds. Startled, Malferz stumbled backwards. Rachelle sat up and shrieked. "I hate you I hate you I hate you!" she yelled, hot tears streaming down her face. Malferz laughed, which served to make Lady Rachelle even angrier. "Seth is _mine, _do you hear me, _mine! _He would never take a half breed like you to his bed!" she screamed. "I am a full blooded Fae, I come from a noble bloodline, I am superior to you in every way!" She was fuming. First Seth becomes fond of a mere human, and now this half breed had the impertinence to claim she knew Seth intimately.

Malferz scowled. She stood up and walked toward the doors, which flung open before she got within ten feet of them. "Nor!" she yelled, whipping her riding crop against her thigh. Nor turned around and ambled through the doorway. Malferz, panting, pointed the riding crop in Lady Rachelle's direction. "Break her arm!" Malferz ordered her lackey. "I need to pick out something suitable," she hissed, stomping off to a particularly frightening wall. "No one insults my parents," she murmured, eyes scanning the array of iron weapons. Unfortunately for Rachelle, Malferz just _hated _being called a half breed. The term was a slur against her parents just as much as it was against her. She would not stand for that. She loved both her mother and her father.

Nor slowly walked over to Rachelle, who desperately pried at the locks around her feet. She probably could have pulled them off if they weren't iron. Touching them even for a second burnt her hands, and she couldn't get a grip on the bands. Nor was next to her before she realized it was a futile task. "No," she whimpered, throwing her hands over her head to protect herself. It didn't mean anything to Nor. He took one of her arms between his thumb and forefinger and bent it out. Rachelle tried to bat his hand away with her free arm, but he didn't even notice it. "Stop, oh God, stop, please," she whispered, closing her eyes. Nor snapped her arm like a toothpick. Her howl of agony made Malferz smile.

Malferz pulled a serrated blade off the wall. It was double-edged, and four inches long. She ran her finger down the side, and drew blood. Satisfied, she turned and walked back over to Rachelle, who was laying against the table, moaning. "That's all I need, Nor. You don't need to see this," Malferz said, patting her assistant on the arm.

"Okay Mally," Nor rumbled. Malferz was so angry with Rachelle, she didn't even roll her eyes at Nor's nickname for her. She smoothed her dress under her armor while she waited for privacy. It took a minute for Nor to leave, but once he had, Malferz held the blade above Rachelle so the Fae woman could see it glinting in the torchlight.

"This is iron," Malferz said. "This will literally make your blood boil. I know. Many Fae have come here before you," Malferz murmured, twirling the blade. Rachelle found that her eyes had gotten so big she couldn't shut them against the terrible sight. Malferz took a deep, slow breath. "It took some experimenting, but I found the best place to plunge this into the body of a Fae. It makes all the blood in a Fae's system boil, but it is not fatal." She bent her face close to Rachelle's. "I am sadistic, Rachelle. I find that torture is much more satisfying than murder." Malferz climbed up onto the table and straddled Rachelle. "This will hurt very badly. You will soon wish that you were dead, my Lady. Know that I intend to keep you alive as long as possible. I have been doing this for a long time," Malferz said, positioning the blade over Rachelle's shoulder. "So that could be years. It will certainly be months."

Malferz plunged the blade into Rachelle's shoulder. She watched the woman squirm, and rocked the blade back and forth in her flesh. "Seth really did like you for a while," she said, increasing the pace of the rocking. "But by now he has to know that you really are a bitch," she hissed. Rachelle drew her knees up in pain. Malferz merely sat on the joints, using Rachelle like a chair. She crossed her legs and started looking on the wall for another instrument to have fun with. "I think something with chains," Malferz murmured, her voice barely audible against the noise of Rachelle's shrieks. She looked down at the woman. "That dress will _have _to go. I can't wrap chains around fabric. To get good, proper third-degree burns," Malferz said, jumping down to the floor, "you need to put the iron right against the skin." She grinned at Rachelle and skipped over to the chains.

She pulled a long one off the wall. It was new, never used. The stains that coated the rest of the chains weren't present on this one. It was fourteen feet long. Malferz threw it over her shoulder and dragged it across the floor as she walked back to Rachelle. She inspected the wound on the Lady's shoulder, and was pleased to see that the blood seeping out was bubbling, and when she touched it, it was scorching. Humming a happy little tune to herself, Malferz tied one end of the chain to one of the ankle bonds, and carefully wrapped it around Rachelle, going over and under the morgue table. She finally finished and tied the other end to one of the bolts of the arm bonds, which to her dismay were laying on the floor.

Malferz snapped her fingers, and a healing potion appeared in her hand. In a while she would unwrap the chains, pull out the blade, and force Rachelle to drink the potion. After an hour or two, the Fae woman would be completely healed, and ready for a new round of torture. This was Malferz's favorite thing in her entire stock. It meant that she could punish people, mostly Fae, who broke the rules of the Labyrinth for long periods of time. Though eventually she would go too far, have too much fun, and the person would die before she could get the healing potion inside them. It was a risk she had to take as the Labyrinth's only police officer.

Smiling and humming, Malferz rocked back and forth on her heels. She wondered about the best method to take off the woman's dress. It would probably be best for both of them if she only burned the fabric under the chains. It was fun to watch Lady Rachelle scream in pain, but Malferz wasn't too keen on watching her do it naked. She walked up and traced a single finger along the chains. A flame came out of her finger and scorched the chain, but it also got rid of the fabric underneath. She had worked with her fire powers enough to keep it concentrated on those parts of the fabric, and most of Lady Rachelle's dress stayed intact.

"Why… why are you doing this?" Rachelle wailed. "You don't have to do this! You don't have to go this far!"

Malferz put a hand on her hip. "I enforce the rules of the Labyrinth, my Lady," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Without me, there would be chaos." She started pacing back and forth next to the autopsy table. "Why, people would keep trying to solve the Labyrinth after their time runs out. Jareth can't be defeated by every pretty brunette who stumbles her way into the Labyrinth looking for a sibling or a Muse or a math teacher. I make sure that the slow go home," Malferz said. She sighed.

"And how were you… bestowed… with that honor?" Rachelle asked between gritted teeth.

Malferz twisted a lock of her honey hair around her finger. "A court order. The High Court thought that the only job suited to a half breed like me was police work… but they wouldn't have me in their pretty cities, oh no. They sent me here, to the Labyrinth" she said, walking forward with her arms held out in front of her. She looked at the ceiling, the roof of her cage. "Jareth was the only one who would take me in," she said, dropping her hands to her sides. She stared at the floor for a few minutes, Lady Rachelle's whimpers and yells a background symphony for her own torment. "Seth was friendly to me, too," she murmured, mainly to herself. She wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug. "They both realized that blood isn't the end all be all of existence."

"Blood means more than you think it does," Rachelle hissed angrily.

Malferz chuckled. "Yes, I guess it does. After all, without my mother's blood, I would be just like you when I touched all my iron toys," she said.

The door opened. This time, instead of Nor, it was Jareth. His eyes were shut tight, and he was using a cane to walk. He stumbled halfway into the room and didn't open his eyes and toss away the cane until the doors shut. He shuddered as he threw the cane to the floor. "I hate that thing," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Malferz bristled. "Nor is _not _that bad," she said. "And if you wanted to bypass him you could've just teleported or whatever it is you do," she spat. Nor got on her nerves, but he was her friend. She wouldn't have her employer and caretaker insult him like that.

"Then you'd yell at me for coming in without announcing myself," Jareth pointed out. He sighed and shook himself. "Time to get down to business," he said, smiling. "I have a chore for you to do, Malferz."

Malferz looked suspiciously at him. "What is it?" she asked.

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I woke up, and I was very warm. It wasn't an uncomfortable heat, it was very soothing. I didn't open my eyes for a few minutes. I took a few deep breaths, and before my exhaling could make any more noise, I noticed that someone else was breathing, very close to my ear. For a second I froze, hoping that the breathing would go away. It didn't, but I realized that it was slow, the breathing of sleep, not of waiting until your victim wakes up to plunge an ice pick into her ear. I opened my eyes and rolled over.

I came face-to-face with Seth and nearly screamed. He had one arm draped across my shoulders, and had one leg hooked over mine. He was very much asleep, and looked absolutely angelic. I stared at him for a moment before I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. Then I noticed someone had taken off my jean shorts. I gave myself permission to scream. "What the_ hell _do you think you're doing?!?!" I shrieked, pushing Seth off of me. He jerked awake and backwards, which sent him rolling over the side of the bed. He hit the floor with a loud thud. Frantically, I dragged the covers up over myself, and looked around the room for my shorts. My shoes and socks were missing, too. Seth managed to stand up. I glared at him, ignoring as best I could his bare chest. "You undressed me!" I yelled. My face was flushed. I still had my shirt on but I felt completely naked. I had no idea how long we had been sleeping. I knew I hadn't taken off my shorts by myself. The shoes and socks I could stand. But my _shorts? _How dare Seth take those off! How dare he even think about doing something like that!

"I did not undress you," Seth murmured, pulling himself back onto the bed. "It wouldn't be any fun to undress you while you were asleep," he purred, grabbing my shoulders.

I pushed at his hands. "If you didn't undress me, why in the world am I missing my shorts?" I demanded, kicking at him. He took my shoulders and pushed me down into the bed, giving me a very nice view of his toned chest. He pinned down my arms and legs and collapsed on top of me. Frustrated, I kept trying to push him off of me, but he was strong and barely noticed my struggle.

He nuzzled my neck. "I did take those off. But you are nowhere near naked," he said, yawning. "Now go back to sleep. We have a lot of time and I want to make sure we don't need to do this for a while," he said. He managed to pull the covers out from between us and pulled them over us. "Go back to sleep," he murmured again, sliding his arms around me. He yawned and rested his head on my shoulder. "We can eat when you wake up," he said, closing his eyes.

Frustrated, I started to squirm. "Get _off _of me," I hissed.

"No," he said bluntly. "You've only been asleep for six hours, you need at least three more."

We lay in silence for a minute. "I'm not tired," I finally said, in a pouting tone. Seth sighed and pressed a finger to my temple. My pouting face disappeared, I snuggled up against Seth, and I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, the room smelled like cinnamon. The covers were tucked closely around my body, and I was alone in bed. Slowly, I sat up and looked around. Seth was fully clothed again, in his wine-stained shirt, and was sitting at a tiny table that had come out of nowhere and had two silver trays of food in it. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and toast with the edges burnt, all of it sprinkled with cinnamon. A large pitcher of milk sat in between the trays, and Seth was sipping on a glass of it. I ran a hand through my hair. "Your favorite meal," Seth teased, putting his glass down. He was holding an aged, yellow scroll, and took his eyes off it for a moment to look up at me. "Come eat it before it gets cold," he said, nodding at a chair on the other side of the table.

My shorts were lying on the end of the bed. I slipped them on underneath the blankets before I stood up. Seth went back to reading while I sat down across from him and started eating. The food was highly welcomed, and hot enough that it warmed me up but didn't burn my mouth. The milk was thick and creamy. Seth tapped his fork against a glass of water I hadn't seen, but didn't look away from the scroll. "Make sure you drink that too," he murmured. I tried to catch a glimpse of the writing on the scroll but he angled it away from me. Sighing, I gulped down some water and spread butter over my toast.

"Do you really think I can solve the Labyrinth without magic?" I asked, taking a big bite of the toast.

Seth looked up at me. He raised an eyebrow. "Would I be down here with you if I didn't?" he countered.

I polished off my toast. "I don't know. I don't think I really know that much about you."

"I'm allergic to strawberries," he said vaguely. I poked at my eggs. Seth reached across the table and gently squeezed my hand. I smiled just a little. He leaned back in his chair and rolled the scroll up. Tapping it against the table, he said, "This is the transcript from my trial. When we have time I want you to read it." He laid it down next to the pitcher of milk and poured himself another glass. He'd finished most of his food already. I stared at the scroll for a minute, dreading what lay inside. "It's so small," I said, distracting myself by shoving a forkful of eggs into my mouth. Seth nodded. "Magic," he said, wiggling his fingers. I laughed and nearly choked on my food.

"Finish up, I want to be able to show you off to all my old friends before you have to leave," he said, smirking.

I nervously laid my utensils down. "I'm not leaving right after I finish?" I asked.

He tilted his head to the side and propped his chin up on his hand. "You don't want to look around Underground?" It was a rhetorical question. "I can show you my old house, and get some money out of somewhere to take you shopping. I know some stores in the capital that you would just die for," he murmured, smirking. I opened my mouth to say something but he hurried ahead of me. "No, I will not give you any money I got from stealing. I did have a legitimate business," he said, sounding slightly offended.

Grinning, I asked, "And what was that?"

Still smirking, he said, "I was a locksmith."

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In the lowest level of the High Court building, there are no windows. The floor is referred to as the crypt, and it is sixty feet underground. The people working here are new or on the bad side of one of the higher-ups, and they aren't allocated enough magic to light the place well. The hallways have only a single torch at either end, and the rooms are given two four-hour candles a day. The nearest bathroom is on the main floor, sixty feet above. There is no security for the crypt, and disgruntled citizens regularly intrude with bombs strapped to their chests. Almost half of the people down here commit suicide before they are transferred up.

Malferz felt right at home as she descended the long, winding staircase to the crypt. She had taken off her leather armor at Jareth's request, and was wearing only her maroon dress. That didn't mean she wasn't carrying any weapons, they were just smaller and more cleverly placed. She got several looks before she finally entered the crypt. Sighing, she picked her way over piles of paper and stacks of envelopes as she made her way to the far end of the hallway. She had been surprised to learn that Judge Raphael worked down here, and she didn't believe it until she reached the very last office and looked inside.

Raphael was reported to be part human, but no one had ever figured out what the other parts might be. Supposedly one had to be Fae, because he had all the powers of a Fae, although he didn't look like one. He was only five feet tall, had very short brown hair, and dull brown eyes. He was skinny, and hyperactive, and had a deep tan. Malferz coughed before she walked into the dark office and seated herself in front of his desk. The only clear space on the desk was a corner, where the Judge had placed one of his four-hour candles. It was half spent.

When he looked up, Malferz had to swallow a gasp. _Dear Lord, he's only a teenager!_

He smiled at Malferz, who was cursing out Jareth in her head. The judge glanced at Malferz's bare knees and smiled to himself. Malferz promised to put something soft and squishy in the Goblin King's bed before the day was over. "Hello," Raphael said, leaning back in his seat. He put down his pen, which began to leak all over his paperwork as soon as he took his fingers away. Malferz raised an eyebrow at him and nodded her head. She was too angry and startled to speak just yet. "The Goblin King warned… I mean," Raphael sputtered, his voice cracking, "he told me you were coming," he finished in a very high voice. Malferz bit her tongue. _He's not even done with puberty! His voice isn't even done changing!_

Malferz ran a hand through her hair. _This kid isn't even scared of me! _she thought. Why had Jareth picked her to talk to Raphael if she wasn't supposed to scare him? "Uh," Raphael said, standing, "I'm sorry I don't have any wine for you," he said. _Well duh, _Malferz thought, _you're not old enough to drink wine yet. _He adjusted his black judge's robe and took a deep breath to make his chest look bigger. Malferz's eye twitched.

"Let's get on with this," she said, glaring at him. She crossed her legs and arms, and sighed heavily. "I suppose Jareth told you why I came here," she said, looking around the room. The shadows cast by the one candle disguised most of it, but she could tell that the walls were covered in papers, most of them with officials seals, and all of them with red markings crossing out and changing lots of words. Malferz wondered briefly what it was a child like Raphael would do all day as a judge. Surely they wouldn't give him terribly important cases.

"No, actually, he didn't," Raphael said, sitting back down. He put his hands on his desk and steepled his fingers, still not noticing the puddle of black ink that was slowly spreading out over the desk. The ink soaked into the sleeve of his robe as he smiled at Malferz. "I suppose he wanted you to tell me," he said.

Malferz's eye twitched again. "I suppose he did," she said dryly. She sighed and tried to ignore the fact that Raphael was staring straight at her chest. "Lord Seth of Edoc, as you may know, was sentenced to Museship about a year ago. We are looking to overturn this punishment." She stared at the wall for a minute, while Raphael digested this news. Eventually he nodded. Malferz continued with her speech. "We want all his powers as a Fae back, as well as his status as a Lord," she said. During the past year Jareth had taken over Edoc, which was Seth's estate. "We also want him to have full access to Aboveground, with no security checks or records of his visits."

Raphael stared at his candle for a minute. Malferz's hopes rose. Most judges would have just shoved this request aside. Thinking about it at least meant that there was a tiny chance of Seth's punishment being overturned. And if Raphael wouldn't agree of his own free will, Malferz had a nice little blade strapped against her thigh that would work on him even if his Fae blood didn't sensitize him to iron.

Eventually Raphael laid his hands out on the table, palms down. "That is a lot to ask, even for an honest citizen," he said. His voice was smooth and deadly serious. Malferz swallowed her heart. She hadn't even asked about what Jareth wanted for Karleigh yet. "I don't think even the High King himself has all of those privileges," he said.

Malferz looked demurely at the floor. "The High King hardly has reason to visit Aboveground," she said softly. So this was why a mere teen had been appointed judge. He knew what she was talking about, and what she was asking for, which was more than many adults did.

"True," Raphael said. He reached out and held his finger in the flame of his candle. Malferz felt her eyes get very wide as she watched the skin of Raphael's finger burn and blister. After a moment the teen withdrew from the flame and began sucking on his damaged skin. He pulled open a drawer in his desk and fumbled around for a moment, before he found a roll of bandages. "I have a masochistic streak in me, Malferz. Forgive me but I needed to distract myself for a moment," he muttered, rolling the bandage around his finger. Malferz waited in silence for him to finish. She didn't know what to say, anyway. Her throat had inexplicably gone tight. She remembered being Raphael's age, only a few short years ago, and anyway when Underground people reached their twenties age didn't really matter anymore, and she… she couldn't remember where her train of thought had been headed.

Done at last, Raphael steepled his fingers again. "Give me one good reason why I should allow a master thief free, unrecorded access to Aboveground, along with restoring all the powers which allowed him to steal in the first place, Malferz," he ordered, staring at the candle.

Malferz bit her tongue and screamed one, long obscenity in her head. "Seth never needed his powers to steal," she said coldly. How dare this child think that Seth couldn't do anything without his Fae magic. "His mind and his body were all the tools he ever required, your honor. You seemed to have studied his case and you should know that," she said, gritting her teeth.

Raphael smiled at her, revealing perfect, white teeth. "Well, in that case," he said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "I guess the death sentence would be appropriate."

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Author's Note: I am officially evil. The certificate arrived in the mail today. Mwahahahaha! Yes, I do these things on purpose, just to torture all of you.

**BlueyChan: **Ooh, for once I don't have to apologize for taking so long! Yay! Haha thanks for the review.

**Princess-RainbowRose: **Haha I loved seeing your review! And I was very grateful for the suggestions, I am so bad at endings myself. I can never decide how I want to end it. I believe I _will _be taking some of your suggestions, I particularly adore the one about Karleigh beating the daylights out of Seth, but I have a couple of ideas of my own after seeing yours that I'm excited about too. No clues on this one, mwahaha. Thanks so much for the review, and of course the suggestions!


	15. Kidnappings

**Author's Note:** Sigh. This took a long time, but I like it. Probably two more chapters after this.

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Malferz was across the desk in a second. She didn't bother to grab the knife from its holder, she just wrapped her fingers around Raphael's throat. "You will do no such thing," she whispered, pressing her thumb into a particularly sensitive pressure point. Raphael tried to keep his breathing steady. In her leap, Malferz's dress had ridden up far enough for the teenage judge to see the dagger strapped to her thigh. In spite of this or maybe because of it, he tried as hard as he could to stay calm.

"Torturing me won't work," he murmured through gritted teeth.

The half-Fae, half-fire demon scowled. "Like hell it won't," she snapped, increasing the pressure on Raphael's neck. His fingers dug into the desk. "They _all _say that in the beginning," she hissed.

Raphael looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. His lips moved as he silently counted to ten. For some reason Malferz waited to see what he had to say instead of just making him pass out. Finally he finished and moved his eyes back down to her. "I am a masochist, Miss Malferz," he said, fingernails scraping away at the wood of his desk. The ink from his tipped inkwell dripped onto the floor. "Torture will not, I fear, produce the effect you are seeking."

Malferz was breathing harder than the judge, now. "This is the crypt," she said softly. "No one is going to come running if they hear you scream," she told him, looking him straight in his brown eyes.

"Mmm," was all Raphael could manage to say. His eyes were closed again. Malferz let up a little. She needed him to be able to talk. The teenager opened his eyes, just slightly. "You are very good at this," he whispered, his voice cracking halfway through the sentence. He blushed furiously and squeezed his eyes shut. She shifted her weight a little. Sitting on her knees on top of this desk was not her favorite position. Raphael bit the tip of his tongue. "This must be uncomfortable for you," he said. "Please, sit down," he begged.

She swung her legs over the edge of the desk and sat in the puddle of ink. Grimacing, she pushed Raphael's head back. His pupils dilated. "If torture won't work," she growled, "then I can always threaten to kill you."

Raphael laughed as best as his situation would allow. "Miss Malferz, you can't kill me," he said, smiling at her. His hands were dug so hard into the desktop that his knuckles were white. "You _need _me. You _know _that none of the other judges will even consider this request."

"How fucking old are you?" Malferz asked, eyes blazing. "You do _not _act like a teenager!"

"My age is irrelevant," he snapped. Startled, Malferz dropped her hands. Raphael reached up and immediately began massaging his neck. He ran a hand through his hair and titled his head to the side. Leaning back, he steepled his fingers, and stared directly at Malferz. He didn't meet her eyes, though. "Mmm. I am older than I look," he said, breathing still hard. "But that doesn't matter. You just tried to kill a High Court Justice," he said.

Malferz slid her dagger out of the band around her thigh. "_Tried?_" she asked. "Do you honestly believe that anyone could say those words in five minutes?" She leaned forward and pressed the point of the knife against his collarbone. He cracked his knuckles. She scowled at the look on his face. "Now," she said, carefully not drawing blood, "you _will _give me everything I ask for," she said. "Or I _will _kill you. It will be quick and painless."

"You're no fun," Raphael murmured.

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"We're lost, aren't we?" I asked, closing my eyes. Across the room I heard Seth grunt. Even if my eyes had been opened I wouldn't have been able to see him. The room we were in was so dark I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. "No, we are _not _lost," he said, making me roll my eyes. "I know exactly where we are," he said.

I swung my legs back and forth, in an attempt to get my feet up to the ceiling. "Yeah, so do I," I said, my shoe hitting wood. I tried to slip my shoe into the mess of vines on the ceiling but couldn't manage it. My legs swung back down and I cursed. "We're stuck in a grove of the Labyrinth's version of kudzu," I drawled. Kudzu, for all of those who don't know, is a devil plant. One vine can completely cover a car in the short span of seven days. "And if it starts singing, I am _not _going to be happy."

The room's walls, floor, and ceiling were completely covered in vines, or so I assumed from the brief glimpse of the place I'd had with light. We had come through a trap door and nearly broken our necks falling to the floor. At the last second the vines reached out and grabbed us, saving our lives. But now they wouldn't let us go. And Seth, apparently, didn't know how to get us out of there. "Seth," I said, sighing. "Come on. How do you forget a room like this?" I asked. He didn't respond. "You had to at least _heard _about it," I said. I was begging now. My arms were getting tired. "Think of anything?" I asked.

"No damn it!" he baked. I glowered at him in the dark. "Give me a minute. I'm trying to remember," he said.

I sighed. "We just want to be lowered to the ground," I whispered, upwards. If talking to the plant didn't work I didn't want Seth to hear me and think I was insane or something. Then again, having spent an entire year with me, he probably already thought that. "Pretty please, let us go."

There was a _thud, _and some footsteps. I felt a pair of hands encircle my waist. "Hold still, Karleigh," Seth said, grunting. His hands slid up and worked with the vines around my arms. "Damn it has you tight," he muttered, as I felt a vine snap away from my skin.

"How'd you _find _me?" I asked. He was touching me and I still couldn't see him, it was that dark. "For that matter how did you get down?" I demanded. "And how are you standing up?" If he was using magic I was going to have to run this entire maze over _again, _and I really did not want that.

His hands rested on my shoulders. "The room isn't very spacious," he said. "I'm standing on the floor. I got down by sliding through the vines," he said. He twisted a tentacle of the plant that was wrapped around my waist and it snapped in two and fell away. "And I can see in the dark."

"Of course," I said, rolling my eyes. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You're in a very vulnerable position, Karleigh," Seth growled. "If I were you I wouldn't cross me," he said. I immediately shut up, though I very much wanted to aim a kick right out in front of me. His hands worked for a few more minutes, at the vines around my arms. Eventually the last one holding me up snapped, and I fell to the ground. True to his word it was only a few inches away, and he caught me, softening my impact. Seth ran a hand through my hair. "Can you see me?" he asked, bending his mouth close to my ear.

"No," I said, frowning. "But I can hear just fine."

He chuckled, making me shiver. "You want me to move?" he whispered in my ear. To my disgust I shivered again, and he put his arms around me. "I'll take that as a no," he said. I felt his fingers slid over my chin, and he titled my face up. My heart started racing. I fumbled in front of me until my hands found his shoulders, and I tried to push him away. This wasn't right, I was too young for this, the age gap between us was too big. He brushed my hair away from my face with his free hand. "Don't fight, Karleigh." Somehow it made sense.

The trap door opened, and light spilled into the room.

We both looked up and saw a vine trailing its way out of the door. After a moment a few more vines dropped down, and twisted together. After a moment they formed a ladder. I stepped away from Seth and walked over to the ladder. He reluctantly followed, scowling. He crossed his arms over his chest while I tugged on the ladder.

"It seems safe enough," I said, looking at him. My heart had slowed down since he'd stopped touching me, but it still wasn't a normal beat. Talking to Seth sometimes felt like talking to an omnipotent telepath. I wasn't sure, but I thought that at least sometimes he read my mind. He knew a lot of things I'd never told him, or knew things before I had gotten around to telling him. It could be unnerving at times, like this one. I was afraid he knew the thoughts I'd had when he'd been holding me.

Seth snorted. "You go up first," he said darkly. "If you fall I can catch you." I glared at him and shook my head. It wasn't, really, that I was afraid of falling. I just didn't want Seth to have that view of me, it was too disturbing to think of him looking at me like that, of him _wanting _to look at me like that, now that I knew he was real. It had been frightening before, but only because I thought I was trying to come up with some fantasy.

He reached up and caught my chin again. "I _will _catch you if you fall," he said firmly. "I will not let you get hurt, I promise," he said. He bent down to kiss my cheek and I jumped onto the vine ladder. He glared at me as I climbed up, which I tried to ignore. It was tough going. The ladder kept swinging back and forth. Finally I held still, just waiting for the ladder to stop so I could try again. But when it finally did stop, it grew the rest of the way down to the floor and twisted into the vines there. It was much easier once that happened.

I kept climbing, and reached the stone hallway we'd been walking in before the trap door surprised us. I stood up and brushed myself off, looking down into the vine room. Seth had started climbing. "Well, that was pointless," I said, scowling. A wasted half an hour or so. "Let's just hope there aren't any more."

"Yeah," Seth said, nearing the top. He was almost there when the trap door swung shut and cut the vines. I heard Seth call out in pain as he fell back to the floor inside the vine room. Startled, I dropped to my knees and started pounding on the door. "It won't open!" I said, scared. "Seth? Can you hear me?" I asked.

"He can't hear you, Karleigh," an icy, feminine voice said. My hands started shaking and I slowly turned around, even though I already knew who it was. "He can't hear either of us," my 'guardian angel' said. The sleeves had fallen off her dress. The bodice clung to her torso, but the skirt was detached and she'd had to use a rope belt to hold it up. All ten of her nails were broken, and her hair had fallen out of its braids. It hung unkempt and loose.

I stood up and took a few steps backwards. "What happened to you?" I asked, clenching my hands into fists.

As she walked up to me her steps were curiously silent. I looked down and saw that her shoes were gone. She didn't stop walking until she got within a few inches of me. "What happened to me?" she asked, playing with a lock of her long hair. She started laughing, and threw back her head. I narrowed my eyes and tried to take another step back. The woman shot out her hand and grabbed my wrist. "Don't fight, Karleigh," she said, as I squirmed in her grip. She cupped my face with her free hand, and used her thumb to stroke my cheek. My breathing got quick and shallow, and my blood pounded so fast my body started aching. She kissed my forehead. "I have spent the last few hours being _tortured,_" she said, leaning back. I couldn't hear any bitterness in her voice.

She titled her head to the side. "I was burned, cut, and my blood was boiled," she said, emotionless. "My arm was broken by the most hideous creature I have ever seen, and the thought of him turns my stomach." She twisted my arm behind my back. I groaned and felt my knees weaken. "All because I only tried to give you what you have coming."

"Jareth said you weren't supposed to use magic to solve the Labyrinth," I whispered, grunting. I tried to raise my other hand to hit her but couldn't, my bones hurt and my nerves were slowly going numb. I dropped the rest of the way to the floor, but the woman pulled me back up, twisting my arm further. Her ragged nails broke my skin.

"I'm not going to try that again," she said, smiling. She pulled me closer to her and started whispering in my ear. "I am going to do what I should've done in the first place, you bitch," she said, voice honey sweet. "I am going to kill you, and hide your body where Seth will never ever find it." She chuckled. "But animals will. You may even still be alive when they do. Hearing your screams as they tear you apart would be music to my ears."

I fell again, collapsing into her chest. She stroked my hair like a concerned mother. I closed my eyes as water started falling down my cheeks. How could I have ever trusted this woman? "If you were tortured," I whispered, shivering at the feel of hot blood running down my arm, "why do you look fine now?"

She laughed again. "My torturer gave me a healing potion so I wouldn't die," she said, her chest shaking with low chuckles. "And then she stupidly left me alone. The potion brought my magic back. It was child's play to get out of there and find you."

"You'll never get away with this," I said, even as her nails scratched through the skin on my other arm.

"Hmm. I would've thought Seth's writer could come up with better than that," she said.

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Raphael didn't make a sound as Malferz showed him into the elevator. He leaned up against her as the car rose, not because Malferz was letting him, but because she had her dagger pressed to his back and she didn't want anyone in the upper floors to make a fuss over the glinting metal. Raphael certainly wasn't.

He tried to think of a way or a reason to get out of the situation. Malferz wanted him to meet Seth before he made his decision. Personally he didn't think the meeting would change his opinion at all. If this Lord Seth person was a thief in spirit, nothing would change him. Not even love, as he suspected Malferz thought. A born thief stayed a thief, this Raphael knew for sure. It would take a lot of work for Seth to convince Raphael not to sentence him to death. It wasn't as if the man's crimes were that bad, it was that he probably could never be changed, and keeping him alive in jail would only drain Underground resources.

Raphael leaned a little heavier against Malferz. She grunted and pulled the knife away slightly, making the teenage-looking judge sigh. _I should have let her torture me, _he thought idly. It would've been much more interesting, and infinitely more enjoyable. But maybe he could get Malferz to talk to him on the way to Jareth's castle, and learn more about the woman on the way. _Fire demon and Fae, _he thought, frowning. _An unusual combination to be sure._

The elevator reached the lobby, and the doors opened. Malferz slid her dagger back into its sheath. But she kept her nail pressed lightly to Raphael's back, to make him think she still had the knife out. The two of them walked into the crowded lobby, sliding their way between Fae, Elves, and a couple of Trolls. Malferz was in a bad mood the entire time, her face dark and brooding. _Not a single demon of any kind, _she thought angrily. _Not a single one._

Raphael noticed the looks he got from being with Malferz. Some of them were accepting, but most jeering or superior. The judge frowned. When the pair reached the door, he spun around and kissed Malferz firmly, to the shock of the people around them. Malferz held still while he did so. After a moment he leaned back and ran his hand through her hair, reveling in the looks they were getting. "Let's go," he murmured, pulling her outside. He noticed, somewhat glumly, that she had put her dagger away. He'd hoped she wouldn't, or at least wouldn't until they got into the carriage and he could watch her.

Jareth's black carriage was waiting outside. Malferz opened the door and shoved Raphael inside. She looked around to make sure no one was running after the young judge before getting in herself. She shut the door and the two sat in darkness and silence for a few minutes. It wasn't until the sounds of the city faded, dozens of minutes later, that Malferz allowed herself to speak.

"What the fucking hell was that about?" she demanded, glaring at Raphael. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

He yawned and rested his head on her shoulder. "Two mixeds kissing," he murmured, snuggling up to Malferz. She cracked her knuckles at the mention of her breeds. "Think of the rumors that are flying about us."

"How old did you say you were?" she asked, rolling her eyes at the faint smirk on his lips. Though she had to admit it was a good cover if anyone wondered where Raphael had gotten to. He wouldn't be expected back for hours yet now, and she could keep him at the Labyrinthine kingdom for longer.

"Young enough to appreciate a good shoulder," he murmured, sincerely. His fingers brushed her arm, and he smiled to himself. "You have very soft skin, by the way."

"Fuck you," Malferz muttered.

Raphael slid his arm around her shoulders. "Good idea," he said, grinning. "Let's get started on that."

"You are so _bad!" _Malferz yelled, pushing him away. She underestimated the distance and he was thrown back against the wall of the carriage quite hard, but she was too busy hiding her face in her hands to notice. She wasn't hiding her face out of embarrassment, as Raphael assumed. She was trying not to let him see her smiling.

Raphael pushed himself away from the wall of the carriage. He started rubbing his neck. He couldn't figure Malferz out. Sighing, he put his feet up in the seat across from them. He was surprised when they hit Jareth's lap. "Oh," he said, startled. He was confused for a moment.

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Please get your boots out of my lap," he growled. The judge shook himself and swung his feet to the floor. Jareth was dressed to intimidate, in a spectacular black outfit. The Goblin King looked at his only police officer. She still had her face hidden, and couldn't stop herself from giggling. "What in Underground is wrong with you, Malferz?" he asked.

"Nothing," she lied, not moving her hands.

Raphael looked Jareth up and down. "Your Majesty," he said, nodding.

"Your Honor," Jareth replied, somewhat sarcastically. Raphael scowled.

Malferz dropped her hands. "Jareth be nice," she ordered.

"Why?" Jareth asked, surprised. Malferz opened and shut her mouth for a moment but couldn't come up with a good answer. Finally she just shrugged and opened the curtain over the window. Raphael sighed softly to himself. Jareth stored the incident away to think about it later. There were more important matters at hand. "Has my underling left you any time to think about my humble request, Judge Raphael?" he asked.

"Not much," Raphael murmured, giving Malferz a sideways glance. She stuck her tongue out at both of them, making the judge smile. "But enough," he said, turning back to Jareth. "I have made my decision, and I do not believe this Muse is amazing enough to convince me otherwise," he said coolly.

Malferz lifted her skirt up a little and pulled out her dagger. She started spinning it around, playing with the reflection of what little light her window afforded. Raphael couldn't take his eyes off her.

Jareth cleared his throat. "And what is that decision?" he asked, not bothering to add on any of Raphael's titles.

The boy took no notice. He kept his eyes on Malferz's hands. "I think the Muse should be sentenced to death," he said. He didn't flinch when Malferz thrust the knife at him. She stopped the blade just before it hit him, scowled, and moved it away. He tried to put his arm around her again, and she knocked him to the floor. Jareth raised his eyes in a silent prayer as Raphael pulled himself back onto the bench.

"And why is that?" the Goblin King asked.

Raphael ran his hands through his hair. He glanced at Malferz, who was trying her best to ignore the men. "A leopard doesn't change his spots," he said, bracing himself for her attack. She turned, but only to give him a questioning look. Jareth looked equally confused.

"What's a leopard?" Malferz asked.

Raphael shook himself. "It's a member of the feline family, Latin name _Panthera pardus, _its coat is…" he faltered, and look back and forth between Jareth and Malferz. After a moment he sighed and slumped his shoulders. "It's an animal from Aboveworld that doesn't change its spots," he muttered.

"We could tell _that _much," Malferz said. "What does it have to do with Seth?"

"Never mind," Raphael said, sighing.

Jareth was still confused about something else. He stared at Raphael for a moment, contemplating. "How do you know about Aboveground animals?" he asked. The King found himself wondering if there was human mixed somewhere in Raphael, and how in Heaven and Hell it had gotten there.

"I have several books from Aboveground," Raphael said. He opened the curtain on his own window, and looked out into the countryside. "What I wouldn't do to see a cow," he murmured as a unicorn trotted by.

"Would you approve our requests for Seth?" Malferz asked, suddenly hugging him to her chest. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the embrace for a moment. "Well?" she asked, putting him in a headlock.

He looked up at her. "No."

"What do you mean no?" Malferz yelled. She started digging her knuckles into his scalp, making him cry out in a mix of pleasure and pain. "Why can't you just say yes!" she asked.

"I _am _saying yes!" Raphael protested.

"I didn't even ask that question!"

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose and made a mental note to have Raphael's books checked out.

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Meanwhile, Rachelle had dragged Karleigh down to a library that Jareth never used anymore. The furniture was covered with dust, and the fireplace was shut up. Rachelle sighed. She could light a fire with her magic, but the smoke wouldn't be able to get out, and she didn't know how to open the flue, even with magic. _Oh well, _she thought, shoving Karleigh into a chair. Rachelle held her hand out and smirked as magic tied the human girl to the dark, dusty, overstuffed armchair.

Karleigh squirmed and kicked as hard as she could. The magic dug into her skin and left the equivalent of rope burns, making her gasp. Rachelle laughed. She regretted not being able to burn Karleigh alive, but there were plenty of other torture methods lurking around in the Lady's skull. For a moment Rachelle stared at her prey, thinking. "You know what?" she asked, sitting down on the arm of the chair. "I'm going to take you back to my home."

"Seth will never forgive you for this," Karleigh hissed.

Rachelle settled herself down as her magic started transporting the two women and the chair. "Right now," she said, smiling, "All I care about is making sure I do not spend the rest of my life regretting my actions now. And right now I know that I want to kill you. Slowly and painfully."

The human closed her eyes as the chair started spinning in extra dimensions. Her pulse quickened and sweat droplets broke out on her forehead. Rachelle stayed calm, if somewhat bored, through the fifteen second journey. When the chair landed it was in a giant glass dome. All around the pair, exotic plants grew, creating a rainforest within the chamber, only without the rain. Karleigh looked around as best she could. She could hear birds chirping and a waterfall in the distance.

Rachelle ran a finger over the chair. It morphed into a flat wooden bed, with small metal wheels. Rachelle began pushing the bed through the trees. Her paces were long and energized. "Jareth may figure out where I've taken you," she said, taking a deep breath of the warm air, "but it won't be for several hours yet. We'll have all day to have fun, Karleigh. Isn't that wonderful?" She paused at a hill and chuckled. "I'll meet you at the bottom," she said, pushing the cart over the edge.

Karleigh _shrieked _as the cart bounced down the hillside. Near the bottom it flipped over, and she skidded the rest of the way down, hitting a rock before finally slowing to a halt. She moaned and started crying. Rachelle lazily ambled down the hill after her. Once at the bottom, she turned the cart over, and it was a pleasant surprise for her to discover the rock had dug a long bloody gouge across Karleigh's face. The Lady spent the next few moments giggling. She pressed her hands to her stomach and tried to catch her breath. "Oh - oh, I just won't be able to hide your body," she said, dissolving again into laughter. Karleigh's nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood. "This is just too perfect, too perfect," she chuckled. "No no, I will have to give your body," she laughed again, "I will have to give it back to your family. It's too perfect!"

"You can't do that!" Karleigh screamed. "You can't do that to my family!"

Rachelle slapped her. "Oh, can't I?" she asked, voice firm and low. "You have no power over me, Karleigh. I hold all the cards," she said. She started pushing the cart again, and the sound of the waterfall grew louder. Rachelle was decidedly giddy. Karleigh cried.

"Don't, please, don't do this to my family!" she begged, curling up into herself.

Rachelle stopped the cart and ran one of her broken nails up and down Karleigh's trembling leg. "I don't give a damn about your family, bitch," she said sweetly. "All I care about is how much pain you'll be in as you die. I want you to be in as much pain," she said, lowering her mouth to Karleigh's ear, "as I was when my blood was boiling in that fucking torture chamber." She kissed Karleigh's cheek mockingly, and started pushing the cart again.

Karleigh stopped sobbing. She rested her head on the wood of the cart and only flinched when blood from the wound on her face trickled into her eye. But her only defense against that was to close her eyes. Now that she couldn't see, she had to rely on her hearing to tell what was going on around her. The rocking and jerking of the cart created a lot of noise, the bird calls were disorienting, and the sound of the waterfall soon drowned out everything, including her own fragile heartbeat.

Rachelle wheeled the cart slightly into the water. The wheels were covered up, and so was much of the bed, but Karleigh's mouth and nose rose above the water level. Rachelle didn't want her dead just yet. As the Lady herself splashed around in the water, the splashes knocked most of the blood out of the human's eyes.

"You know, bitch," Rachelle said, dunking her hair into the pond in front of the waterfall, "I really do not feel any personal animosity towards you. In fact I rather admire that you're strong enough to keep from crying," she said. She did a lap across the pond. "But you are the reason I was tortured, and for that I must take my revenge." She was quiet for a moment, regretting that she didn't have anything alcoholic to drink.

"I didn't make you break the laws of the Labyrinth," Karleigh whispered.

Rachelle knocked some water out of her ear. "Sorry, bitch, I couldn't hear that. What did you say?"

Karleigh gritted her teeth. _"I did not make you break the laws of the Labyrinth," _she said. "You did that yourself, that was a conscious decision on your part, you broke a law and you got what was coming to you!"

The Lady floated on her back for a few minutes. She thought about what the human would said, merely out of boredom. She wanted to be clean before she started torturing Karleigh, and to do that she would have to soak for a while. She stared at the canopy of trees above her. "I don't think so," she said, standing up. She treaded through the water over to Karleigh. Grunting quietly, she pulled the cart out into the water. Karleigh gasped and tried to lift her head, but the bed floated. "Oh relax," Rachelle said. "I'm not ready to kill you." She threw water over Karleigh until all the dust and dirt from the hill was washed away. "There. Now the blood will really stand out," she said, smirking.

"You are evil," Karleigh whispered.

"Why thank you!"

Rachelle smiled at what she considered a compliment. She looked out into the jungle surrounding the pond, and spotted something. Taking a deep breath, she started pushing the wooden bed to the edge of the pond. Her green skirt billowed behind her in the water. More than once the bed bobbed so that Karleigh's face was submerged. Rachelle hummed to herself. When she reached the edge, she spent a moment wringing water out of her hair, while Karleigh struggled to breathe as water splashed over her face.

After a minute Rachelle once again grabbed the cart. She pushed it over the edge of the pond, and wheeled it a few dozen feet into the jungle. Then she wiped her hands on her skirt, turned around, and walked back to the pond. She waved her hand as she walked, and the magical bonds on Karleigh's neck and upper torso loosened, allowing the girl to sit up. She struggled against the lower bonds but couldn't break them.

"Oh, Seth," she whispered, looking around. Her eyes spotted something in the trees, and she did a double take.

It was a leopard.

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**Author's Note:** Ahh, that was fun. Sorry it took so long to get out, I was distracted by my evil homework, hours of which I have ignored to write this.

**BlueyChan:** Yeah, she deserves it. Thanks for the review!

**Moonjava: **Sorry it took so long. Your review was highly appreciated!

**Princess-RainbowRose:** I really do enjoy your reviews! And I was glad to see that you eventually did review the chapter, I really value all the reviews I can get. Thank you so much!


	16. Jungle Fever

**Kerist:** Wow, this didn't take a month to get out. Yay! And I am almost sure in saying that there will be about one chapter after this, yes, almost sure. Unless I think of something spectacular to add the ending to Innocent Musings will be coming along fairly soon, yes.

**Disclaimer: **I think this has been stated before, but I don't own Labyrinth or the Henson Empire.

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"Nice leopard," I whispered, frozen with fear. "Nice leopard. Run along now," I said. Where was Seth when you needed him? Who cared if I had to run the Labyrinth over - again? I just wanted to get out of this alive. And with all that my 'guardian angel' had just put me through, well, the chances of that weren't looking too good.

The leopard took a few steps into the clearing. I laid back down and closed my eyes. I couldn't fool it into thinking I was dead, I knew that much, but if I appeared no threatening maybe it wouldn't try to eat me. My breathing slowed, my heart stopped pounding so hard, my face cooled off. The leopard took another few steps. I gripped the edges of the wooden thing the woman had put me on, my knuckles turning white. "Oh God oh God oh God," I whispered. This day just got better and better. _If I could just go back in time I never would've made that stupid wish, _I thought, cursing myself. _I never thought it'd work, I didn't think I'd actually land myself in the Labyrinth - let alone in the clutches of a raving, psychotic madwoman hell-bent on killing me!_

The leopard came closer still. It got harder and harder to just sit there passively, waiting, even though I knew already I couldn't get the bonds on my legs and feet undone. _Okay, _I thought, _if this were one of my stories, what would I make my heroine do? _I tried to stay calm as the leopard started circling the cart, watching me with big, almond-shaped eyes. _I wouldn't make my heroine do anything, _I thought, staring back at the leopard. _This would be the perfect time for the hero to come in and save her, and have a nice little romantic scene. Then they'd get the hell out of this place and go back home! _The leopard blinked, and I frowned. "What the hell…"

Red eyes on a cat? The leopard sat down at the end of the cart and sneezed. I sat up and stared at it. Red eyes on a _cat? _Didn't cats have yellow eyes or something? The leopard shook itself and bent its head down to my legs. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for flesh to start tearing. Maybe I'd pass out pretty quick and wouldn't have to be conscious while I was eaten alive, yes, that would be nice.

I felt the wet tongue of the cat along my legs, and the occasional nip of teeth, but no bites. Confused, I opened my eyes again, and my jaw dropped. The leopard was chewing at the ropes tying me to the cart. "What? Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at it. It sneezed again but didn't speak, making quick work of the rope around my feet. It came around the corner of the cart and put its front paws on the bed, tipping it over. I groaned as my head hit dirt. The leopard didn't seem to take much notice, it kept chewing at the ropes around my legs, only pausing once in a while to sneeze. I felt my head spin. "What are you?" I asked, fully expecting it to answer. It remained silent, naturally.

The last rope broken, I fell to the ground, and hurriedly picked myself up. The leopard stared at me, and I stumbled backwards, over the cart. I pushed myself off the ground again and glared at the cat. It was looking at the ground, making a weird noise. If I hadn't known better I would've said it was laughing. "Well, thanks," I said, for lack of anything else. I backed out of the clearing, keeping my eyes on the cat. "Yeah, thanks for all your help," I said, finally turning around. _Now to find a way out of this place, _I thought, sprinting away from the clearing. It looked like a greenhouse, so there had to be a door somewhere, or at least a wall I could break through.

If my 'angel' didn't find me first, that was.

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The leopard stayed still for a moment, staring at the place in the trees where Karleigh had disappeared off into. It sneezed, scratched at its face, and shook itself. With a sigh, the air around it rippled, and its form blurred. The colors changed from yellow and black to peach, red, brown and honey. The blurred air straightened and thinned, after a moment formed the shape of a humanoid figure. Then the air snapped back into place, and the blur faded, revealing Malferz, still in her red dress but wearing her leather armor again.

Jareth and Raphael walked into the clearing, scowling at each other. Malferz sneezed. "I'm allergic to cats, you know," she said, voice muffled. Raphael produced a handkerchief from somewhere in his robes and handed it to Malferz. She noisily blew her nose, and snapped her fingers to clean the handkerchief. "Couldn't it have been a pixie?" she asked Jareth. "Then I could've just untied the ropes."

"I do not think Rachelle stocks pixies in this place," Jareth said, looking around. "Besides, you wanted to know what a jaguar looked like, and now you do." He kicked the wooden cart and sneered, disgusted. Raphael looked up at the tree canopy, hoping to see a kookaburra or a spider monkey or something else of that nature. He recognized the environment from his Aboveground books, it was a tropical rainforest, so there should be some of those animals around somewhere, if he was lucky. "Rachelle is sick," Jareth muttered. "It's high time she get stuck in a padded room and leave us all be," he said.

"I second that," Malferz said, running a hand through her hair. "She is one messed up bitch. I don't see what Seth ever saw in her," she said. Jareth shrugged. Malferz scratched her head. "Where is Seth, anyway?"

Jareth smiled humorlessly. "Tied to Rachelle's bed, I'd assume," he said. Malferz glared at him.

Raphael stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Are we going after that girl?" he asked. "If you want me to make a fair decision about the Muse, I should probably get her opinion about him." He didn't catch Jareth's wince.

The Goblin King wasn't so sure about that. "The human needs to finish running the Labyrinth," he said, anxiously. Of course, he hadn't spoken to Seth for an hour or so, and so he didn't know that Seth had broken Rachelle's hold over Karleigh, so he was worried about any opinions the girl might share about her Muse. "She's already had to start over once. We just need to get her back to the Goblin Kingdom and let her continue where she left off - "

"No," Raphael said, coolly.

A moment of tense silence passed. Through gritted teeth Jareth asked, "No? This is my affair, Your Honor," he said, hands clenched by his sides. Malferz looked back and forth between the two men, intrigued. No one ever told Jareth what to do, this was going to be interesting. "And I say that we take Karleigh back and discuss Seth's fate while she finds her way through the Labyrinth," Jareth said, resisting the urge to dump Raphael straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench. He entertained the thought for a while, though. It was a nice thought.

Sighing, Raphael put his hand on Jareth's shoulder. "This is far more important than a silly little race against time, Your Majesty," he said, closing his eyes. "This is a criminal case, and I'm puling that human out of her competition with you to testify." He opened his eyes and tightened his grip on the Goblin King's shoulder. "Is that clear?" he asked, his eyes flashing. After a second of thought, Malferz tapped her finger against Raphael's head. The judge turned around and glared at her. "What?" he snapped, the moment ruined.

Malferz put her hands on her hips. "As the enforcer of the Labyrinth's magic," she said, firmly, "I feel I must inform you that the Labyrinth isn't going to like that. There's too much of its magic in Karleigh to just pull her out. She'll _die _if the magic isn't transferred to someone else - and it may be weeks before another kid is wished away."

For a minute Raphael just stared at her. "So what you're saying," he finally said, narrowing his eyes. "Is that all we have to do is find someone else to run the Labyrinth in Karleigh's place?"

The half-Fae ran her tongue over her teeth. "Yeah, that could work," she said, hesitantly. It'd never been done before, but hell, what did they have to lose? Besides Karleigh's life, of course…

"Well then, it's settled," Raphael said, turning to Jareth, who frowned. The King asked, "Who do you suggest we put in her place, hmm? There aren't that many people available," he said. "And I don't suppose you're willing to volunteer? No? I didn't think so." He scowled, and looked away, off into the trees. _Little bastard showing me up, thinks he can run my kingdom, if I didn't need him I swear to _hell _I'd dump him right into the Bog of Stench, and I'd enjoy it, too, _he thought bitterly.

Raphael raised his eyebrows. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Lady Rachelle is the perfect candidate."

The trees on the far side of the clearing opened. Rachelle stumbled in, holding a carving knife in her left hand, and a canister of salt in the other. She stared at the group standing in the middle of the clearing, gaped, and twitched ever so slightly. She hid the knife and the salt behind her back. "Hello Jareth. Malferz. And….?" her voice was sugar sweet.

"Judge Raphael," Raphael said, bowing at the waist. Malferz snorted. "I assume you are Lady Rachelle?" he asked.

Rachelle curtsied as best she could manage without using her hands and having almost no skirt left. "Judge Raphael," she said, head inclined. "What an honor to meet such a fine presence. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" she asked, smiling. _Never, _thought Raphael, _have the pointed Fae canines looked better on anyone._

Calmly, Raphael walked forward and took Rachelle's hand in his. He kissed the back of her hand, and smiled back at her. Malferz crossed her arms over her chest, but didn't comment. "My Lady," he said, not letting go of her hand. His fingers cautiously gripped her wrist. "I am here on a matter of grave importance, and I require your assistance."

"What… kind of assistance would that be?" Rachelle asked, taking note of how firmly he was gripping her wrist.

Raphael smiled.

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Seth gripped the machete and hacked his way through a web of withered creeping vines. He clenched his teeth and stomped through the grove of trees, cursing under his breath. "I can't believe I ever loved that woman," he muttered, climbing over a boulder. He stood on the top of the rock and surveyed the area, scowling. "Nearly broke my back falling down that ladder," he said, rubbing his sore shoulder.

A crash in the trees behind him made Seth spin around, and he nearly fell off the boulder. A woman was standing at the bottom of the rock. She had deeply tanned skin, and long, sand-colored hair, which grew down to her waist. Seth swallowed and nervously tapped his fingers against the handle of the machete. The woman was completely naked from the waist up. She had a skirt made of dead fern leaves tied around her waist, and if she'd had any greater sense of decency she'd have worn her hair over her chest, not combed behind her ears and shoulders.

"Who are you?" Seth asked, trying to keep his eyes on her eyes, brown. She giggled but didn't respond. Seth swallowed again, painfully this time. _A fine time for Karleigh to show up, _he thought, glancing around the area for his … friend. Luckily for Seth she wasn't anywhere around. "What are you?" he asked, looking closer at her eyes. Both brown, so she wasn't a Fae. And no Fae would walk around dressed like that. _Well, maybe Rachelle, _Seth corrected himself. _In fact, I'm sure Rachelle has walked around like that. More than once._

The woman giggled again, and titled her head to one side. "I am Liakea," she said, smiling warmly. "And you have hurt my vines." She pointed to the vines hanging loosely from the canopy, ends evenly cut, obviously with a sharp, smooth blade. Like the one on the machete Seth had.

He scratched his head, running his hand through his hair. For an awkward moment he didn't say anything. He wet his lips and tapped his foot against the boulder. "Um, well, I'm sorry about that," he said. "But I needed to get through the … vines …" his voice trailed off at the look on the woman's face. Her eyes were watering, and her shoulders shook with soft sobs. Seth stared at her, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to say something, changed his mind, and shut his mouth again. "Miss…" he said, convinced that whatever her species she was very much female.

"You hurt my vines," she wailed. Seth tried to jump off the boulder but found himself anchored. Startled, he looked down to see vines curled around his ankles. "Now… I'm going to hurt you," Liakea said. Seth rolled his eyes and started chopping at the vines, which only made Liakea furious. She started climbing up the rock, and Seth just kept hacking at the vines, muttering to himself. He'd finally figured out what Liakea was.

When Liakea was closer, Seth threw his machete at her. She fell back against the jungle floor, blade sticking out of her chest. Weeping, she curled into a fetal position, and the vines around Seth dissolved as she died. He flinched and turned around, jumped off the boulder and continued on his quest to find Karleigh. "I _hate _dryads," he muttered.

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I was tired of sprinting just a few minutes later. Sighing, I sat down in the nook of a tree root to catch my breath. Above, the trees started to rustle, and I looked up. A few seconds later rain poured through the canopy, and the floor of the forest turned to mud. "Shit," I muttered, finding a place on the tree root I could sit. Next to me was a fern, I pulled off a leaf, brushed the seeds off, and held it over my head to keep dry. Of course. This was a rainforest, it was going to rain. And after a couple of seconds went by I realized it was going to rain very hard. The fern leaf wasn't going to be of any use. I threw it away, and pulled my knees up to my chest.

"I might as well face it," I said to myself, leaning back against the tree. I looked up at the canopy, rainwater falling into my eyes. I blinked, and raised my hand to my forehead. "I'm never going to get out of here." I crossed my legs up underneath me and bit my tongue. For the entire time I'd been in this place, I'd been hearing bird calls, but not once had I seen any birds. Weird. "I'm going to die here… my bones bleached by the sun," I muttered.

Closing my eyes, I tried to lull myself to sleep. I wasn't really tired, but if I wandered around anymore I figured I'd get lost and end up hurting myself. If I could avoid that angel for long enough, my time would run out, and Jareth would send me back home. I sighed to myself. The situation seemed hopeless enough.

Cracking leaves in the distance made me open my eyes again. My heart started pounding, and I prayed that it wouldn't turn out to be another leopard. Two trees parted, and out stepped… Seth. I let out a sigh of relief, and stood up, my shoes sinking into the mud on the jungle floor. "Why are you dressed like Indiana Jones?" I asked, sticking my hands in my pockets.

He threw his hat to the ground and kept walking towards me. "I felt it was appropriate," he muttered, coming to a halt just a few inches in front of me. We stood silently for a few minutes, staring at each other. Finally he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "The woman, the woman who dragged you away," he said, noisily cracking his knuckles. "Her name is Rachelle… her official title is Lady." He looked away, and said, mostly to himself, "And she's a demon in bed."

I stomped on his foot as hard as I could. "What took you so long?" I asked, glaring at him. "She was going to feed me to a jaguar, for crying out loud!" I yelled, looking away. He took a step forward and put his arms around my waist. Startled, I tried to jump back, but he wouldn't let me. "What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

He raised an eyebrow at me, and pulled me closer. I put my hands flat against his chest, to stop him from going, well, any further. "Don't do this to me, Karleigh," he said, softly. "I've had a rough day."

"_You've _had a rough day?" I asked, gaping at him. What the hell did he think he was saying? Were we talking about the same day here? "I've been swept away to a world I thought didn't exist, gotten lost more than once, gotten locked into more than one room, been told my Muse was really a Fae on conviction for some mysterious crime, and told the woman who supposedly was trying to help me was your former lover and was really trying to get me to go home, or kill me, and win you back," I said, the words spilling out in one long rush.

"And I've had to kill someone," Seth drawled. I gaped at him, shocked. He bent down, gripped my chin in his hand, and gently kissed me. In spite of myself, I closed my eyes, and kissed back. He was warm, and, somehow, even though it was raining, dry. After a second he pulled back. "Mmm.. … that was nice," he said, staring at me. I blushed and pushed away from him. I spun around and took a deep breath, pressed a hand to my face, which was burning with the worst blush I'd probably ever had. Seth's hand brushed my shoulder, and I reluctantly turned back around. He looked up at the canopy. "We should just get out of here," he said. "Using magic won't matter now."

"Screw the rules, huh?" I asked. Seth smiled and took my hand, pulling me close to him again.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered in my ear.

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Rachelle walked. And she walked. And she walked. Her hand trailed along the sandstone wall, and her eyes flickered closed. She stumbled and fell into a bush. Cursing, she struggled to pick herself up. "Damn it!" she hissed, jerking her hand away from the bush. A fairy hung from her wrist, grunting with the effort of driving its teeth through the Lady's thick skin. Rachelle bashed it against the wall, cursing again.

"Where is that damned door?" she asked, finally managing to pick herself off the ground. "That thing was ten feet high! Where the hell could it have gone?" She kept walking, frustrated. Where was that damned Hogwart thing when you needed him? She stopped in her tracks and curse again, badly enough to make the nearby fairies run away.

"I killed my guide," she muttered. She started cackling. "I… killed… my… guide…" she said, snorting. "And now I'm stuck in this stupid place…" she fell down again, howling with laughter. After a few minutes the laughter died away, and she stared up at the clouds as a few pixies gnawed at her ankles. "This isn't over yet, Seth," she said.

Inside the wall, which really wasn't that thick, the worm looked at his wife. "Won't be invitin' that one in for a cupa tea," he said, shaking his head. "Don't want her kind near the kiddies."

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Jareth, Malferz, and Raphael waited for Seth and Karleigh to show up in one of Jareth's many parlors. It wasn't easy. Raphael sat in front of the fire, staring into the flames. Malferz paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, mostly blocking his view of the fire. He didn't mind much.

The Goblin King read a report one of his underlings had made up while they were in Rachelle's jungle. He flipped through it, every moment his grin growing wider and wider. He put his hand up in front of his mouth to hide his satisfaction. If this meeting didn't change the High Judge's mind, well, this file definitely would. It was thick enough, for one, and had a whole lot of information that the judge was completely oblivious to.

"Malferz…" Raphael finally murmured. She glared at him, to no effect. "What, exactly, is your relationship to this Muse?" he asked, tapping his fingers against the arm of the overstuffed chair. He watched the expression on the woman's face change from angry, to startled, to happy, to thoughtful, and he stiffened.

She looked into the fire. "We… we were lovers, once," she said. Raphael started chewing on his tongue, and winced as the coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth. "It was just physical," Malferz added. "Seth was angry at Rachelle for betraying him… and he needed a woman to take it out on."

"He was rough with you," Raphael said.

Malferz glared at him. "This is none of your business," she said, softly.

Raphael shrugged. "I'm older than I look, Miss. Don't be afraid to say anything that might offend my ears," he said, smiling. Malferz snorted. "You wish," she muttered. Raphael didn't respond, though his eyes said a lot. Malferz sat down just to get away from his gaze. In the back, Jareth chuckled, unable to contain it.

The door opened, and Seth walked in. Karleigh hid behind him, clutching his shirt, her palms sweaty. Seth tried to make her come out from behind him, but couldn't. He gave up and walked over to the desk where Jareth was sitting, reading the report. The King closed the folder, steepled his fingers, and looked up at his old friend. "Judge Raphael is here," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Are you ready?"

"I have no choice," Seth said, finally managing to get Karleigh in front of him. She stared at the ground, trying to ignore Jareth's stare and Seth's arms hanging around her shoulders. "Somehow we ended up here, and not in the Labyrinth," he said, absentmindedly running his hand through Karleigh's hair. Karleigh plucked at the hem of her shirt, and didn't pay any attention to him.

"Karleigh… has been replaced. She has a surrogate runner," Jareth explained, shrugging. Seth raised his eyebrows, but Jareth didn't elaborate. He cleared his throat and stood up. "Your Honor," he said, rolling his eyes.

Raphael poked his head around his chair. "Oh," he said, looking Karleigh up and down. "You're soaking wet."

"No shit Sherlock," Karleigh muttered. Seth pushed her down into a chair, and gently told her to shut up. She scowled and curled up in the chair, wishing she was closer to the fire. Seth rubbed her shoulder and looked at Raphael, his face blank. "So, you're Judge Raphael?" he asked. The judge stood up and came out from behind his chair, nearly tripping over the hem of his long black robe.

"You're Seth, then," Raphael said, walking across the room. Malferz leaned over the arm of her chair and watched, fingers crossed. Raphael walked around Seth, inspecting him. "Well, you don't seem very impressive. I don't see why you've got all these women falling for you," he said. Malferz rolled her eyes and fell back in her chair.

Seth glared at him, grip on Karleigh's shoulder tightening. "I don't think my sex life has anything to do with this."

Karleigh bit her lip. "I am not included in that last statement," she said, frowning at Seth.

For a moment Raphael just stared at Seth, eyes narrowed. He sat down on the edge of Jareth's desk and crossed his legs. Sighing, he cracked his knuckles. "Well then, let's here it," he said, staring at Seth. The Muse cursed mentally, and tried to keep his face impassive. "Tell me why you deserve to live, Muse."

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**Kerist:** Well, another chapter out. Actually now I'm thinking... the next chapter will be Raphael's final decision, wrap things up with Rachelle (yea, we are not done with her just yet) and the one after will be the ending. I don't know about a sequel, if I can think of a plotline for it I may do it, of course, there'd have to be interest. By the way, dryads are like... nature nymph things... I just twisted that one to take up some time, show how.. violent... Seth could be. Anyway. Reviewer recognition time!

**BlueyChan:** Yay, I love Raphael too. Thanks for reviewing!

**Fou Fou:** Hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Thanks for the review, I love it when people write whole paragraphs!

**sych77:** I really was convinced you had finally disappeared into a black hole or something. But lo, you are existent! And fully capable to produce great reviews, thank you so much! I know, I can't seem to keep my stories from getting dark… people just somehow turn up dead around me… :cough: of course they're all fictional…

**Princess-RainbowRose:** I liked the judge too… I just had to put that line in there. Hope this update was soon enough for you, thanks again for being such a dedicated reader!

**Moonjava:** Short and sweet, thanks for the review!

**Avalon-blackandgreen:** I'd be disturbed if people _didn't _hate Rachelle. Thanks for reviewing!


	17. Past, Present

**Kerist:** Oooh! Guess what! I had my birthday party (two weeks late) and my friend bought me the Labyrinth DVD! And a warning, I still know nothing about scoliosis. I'm just making stuff up. Maybe it'll turn out to be something different after all (dundundun) And this stupid website won't let me use my normal scene breaker-upper. So now I have a new one. Again. Sigh. Actually I used it last chapter but just didn't mention it. Anyway.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Labyrinth or Zelda, in fact, I've never even played Zelda, I've just seen pictures. But my friend plays Zelda, so that's just as good, right?

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In spite of myself, I clung to Seth's arm. He shook me off and patted my head, his focus on the teenage-looking kid in front of us. The kid's brown hair was disheveled, his shoulders bony, and he was barely taller than me. I would've been convinced he was only fourteen, too, but his eyes just seemed… more intelligent than that, more mature. What was his name again? Donatello, was it? No, maybe it was Michelangelo. Wait, Leonardo… oh, it was one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Who was the fourth one again?

Seth's face was blank, but from his stiff posture I knew he was uncomfortable. "Your Honor," he said, inclining his head to… oh, Raphael, that was it. "I believe I have more than atoned for my crimes." His voice was calm, even, solemn. Raphael just rolled his eyes, and I wanted to throttle him. Seth couldn't have done anything bad enough to deserve death, he just couldn't have. He drew a deep breath. "For what I have done, the death penalty is excessive. As a radical I am surprised you would even consider implementing that punishment."

"I am called a radical by my opponents," Raphael said, shrugging. "At heart I am rather conservative." He smiled, showing some of the whitest teeth I'd ever seen. "The government, in my opinion, is too bleeding-heart. They're too concerned with crossing moral lines to see the truth about repeat offenders. Off with their heads, I say. Saves money." His hands were folded in his lap, and his stance was relaxed. For a minute he looked Seth up and down, contemplating something or other. "I'm guessing, then, that you are a radical."

Seth paused. "At present I find myself thinking radically, yes," he said. Raphael laughed, and Seth's face reddened.

The judge slid further back on Jareth's desk and crossed his legs. "You still haven't answered my question. Forget politics, forget the law," he said, tugging on the tight collar of his robe. I noted a couple beads of sweat on his neck. Hmmf. I hoped he was burning alive under that stupid robe. "Every time you have been given another chance you have abused it," he said, glaring at Seth. "You have committed crime after crime -"

The corner of Seth's mouth twitched. "I was only convicted once," he said.

The air grew very still. Raphael didn't blink for a full minute, didn't take a single breath. I looked at Jareth, who had his eyes turned toward the ceiling, his lips mouthing a silent prayer. I wasn't very proficient at lip reading but I could make out a little bit of the words. _It was easier … _I frowned, the next couple words came too quickly to make out. _…is an unlucky letter… _What the hell did that mean? _Seth, _I was sure of that. _Sarah easier than this… _Oh, well, that was an interesting tidbit. From the movie it didn't seem like she'd be easier._ Seth is… my grave._

Raphael stopped me from figuring that last part out. He finally started breathing and blinking again. "Yes," he said, cracking his knuckles. "You've only been _caught _once. But look what one capture got you," he said, voice sharp. "You had the majority of your powers taken from you, you lost control of your family's lands, you lost your title, you were taken out of the only world you've ever known, sentenced to live among species you've never had contact with before, and for what?" he asked, his face red, his breathing hard and fast. "For a spell that you didn't even have the power to cast? To annoy your best friend, the owner of the spell?" Raphael's fingers were curled around the edge of Jareth's desk, and as he finished up his question the wood paneling that made up the edge broke off. Raphael didn't even wince when splinters of wood drew blood from his palms. He raised his hands to his mouth and started picking out the splinters with his teeth, muttering something about bacteria. "Why, Seth?" he asked, using Seth's name for the first time. "Why should you get a second chance when I -" He stopped suddenly, and closed his mouth. A small smirk played across the Goblin King's face.

A woman climbed over a chair by the fire. She combed her long, honey-colored hair behind her ears, and pulled the hem of her red dress down. She was wearing leather armor, too, and overall she reminded me of the fantasy RPG's I always liked to play, like something straight out of Zelda. For a second she looked at Seth, but then she focused her eyes - …red… - on Raphael, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Red eyes… nah, couldn't be. This woman was human, or at least humanoid, she couldn't have been back in the jungle…

Seth wet his lips. "I deserve a second chance," he said slowly, "because I have debts to repay. I should get a chance to repay them. The people I owe… deserve to be compensated."

I stared at him, amazed. I didn't know all the details, of course. But from my impartial position… that argument didn't sound very convincing. Seth had to have something else to live for. I felt my fingers digging into my thighs, and my eyes watering. Startled, I quickly composed myself. Why was I so nervous? Up until the little adventure started I'd thought Seth was a figment of my imagination, a hallucination. For all I knew he was, and I was imagining this entire thing.

"Is that all?" Raphael asked, sneering. "Should I just have you killed as soon as you repay these debts?'

Seth looked down at the floor. "No. There's something else." The way he said it made my heart skip a beat.

"Well?" Raphael demanded.

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Seth's palms were sweaty, had been for the last fifteen minutes. He didn't want anyone to notice, though, so he kept his palms facing inward, and didn't reach to wipe the sweat off on his pants. He nervously wet his lips again, and glanced at Karleigh out of the corner of his eye. The look on her face struck a cord in him. Her lips were slightly parted with an unspoken sentence, and her eyes searched him, trying to figure out what he was going to say before he said it. In that moment he was more scared than he'd ever been. He'd broken into safes, been run into closets when people came home early, jumped off balconies when husbands came home early, not made it in time to jump off balconies when husbands came home early, sat through a trial where his ex-lover tried to have him killed, and he'd never been as nervous as he was right then. Taking a deep breath, he glanced one more time at Karleigh, and thought, _I think you know what I'm about to say, even if you don't realize it._

He stared right into Raphael's eyes. "I'm in love," he said. He felt a smile cross his face, and he couldn't stop it. Not that he tried very hard. "And I'm pretty sure the girl I'm in love with loves me back."

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"Isn't that right, Karleigh?" he asked, turning towards me. The grin on his face was a mile wide. My jaw dropped, my heart raced. His eyes, the blue one and the green one, sparkled. And I heard something, I wasn't sure if it was my thought or if he was projecting, _You knew._

For no obvious reason, the memory of the first time I'd met him came into my head.

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I was at the doctor's office for the third time that month. My back really hurt, badly enough that I'd had to check out of school the day before. Just putting my backpack on was murder, I'd had to drag it along the floor when my mom showed up outside the building. Right then my eyes were teary, and I was laying on the examination bed, face down, shoes on the floor, jacket hung on a chair. Why I wasn't at the chiropractor's I had no idea. The doctor hadn't done anything for me so far. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. Damn it, I knew carrying around all those stupid textbooks was going to get to me one day. I should haul off and sue the school.

The door opened. I glanced up, expecting my mother, but it was a nurse. A male nurse. He was wearing the traditional white shirt and pants, I couldn't see far down enough to check his shoes. I felt myself blush as he smiled at me. Short black hair, crystal blue eyes, strong figure: he looked like a hero straight out of one of my stories. He walked over to me and stood next to the examination bed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, aren't you just a sight?" he asked. My blush deepened. He picked up the clipboard the doctor left and started reading through the papers. He raised his eyebrows and let out a long, low whistle. I immediately bit my tongue. "You're in for a fun time today," he said, wincing. He put the clipboard back down. Then he moved behind me, where I couldn't see him. Frustrated, I blew my hair out of my eyes. I hadn't said anything yet and now I couldn't think of anything to say. This wasn't the nurse who'd ushered me into the room, and I'd never seen him before. "How old are you?" he asked.

I closed my eyes. "Fifteen and six months," I said. Fingers brushed my back, and the nurse pushed my shirt up. As much as it killed me, I bolted up and turned around. The nurse looked confused, his hands were still outstretched, and he looked me up and down like I was a different species or something. "What the hell was that?" I asked, tasting blood as I bit down on my tongue to keep from crying out in pain. Damn, something was really wrong with my back.

"A massage," he said, smiling again. "Your back hurts, doesn't it? I was going to make it feel better." The smile was so charming that I couldn't think of an answer. And my back did hurt, enough to where I had to lay back down, face down so as to keep pressure off my back. The nurse chuckled. "I won't move your shirt this time," he promised. Fingers against my back again, but above the fabric of my shirt, thankfully. I shut my eyes, and let him rub my back. It took a few moments before I could trust him enough to relax my shoulders, though. He chuckled again. "My name is Seth, by the way."

"Seth…" I murmured. "I like that name." I immediately, mentally, smacked myself. What an intelligent thing to say, Karleigh, you're just astonishing him with your sharp wit. Not that it mattered, right. I didn't have any reason to impress this guy, I'd never even seen him before. So why did I feel like I had some expectation of his to live up to? Fumbling for something to say, I finally came up with the generic, "My name is Karleigh."

He thought about that for a moment. "I like that name," he said. His hands moved up to my shoulders, which hadn't really been causing me that much trouble, but it felt nice. He laughed, and started rubbing my neck. "Don't," he said when I tried to push him away. I put my hands down, but I couldn't help but feel nervous. It seemed strange to have him touching my neck, just too personal or something. "Relax," he ordered. I grunted, frustrated. "Really," he said, "there's nothing to worry about. I'm a professional," he said. I reluctantly obeyed.

After a minute the door opened again. Seth adjusted himself so he was standing out of the way of the doctor and my mother, but could keep rubbing my back. To my surprise, my mom didn't say anything about the twenty-odd something giving me a massage. The doctor didn't seem to take much notice, either. He nodded in my direction but I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or Seth. Sighing, the doctor picked up the clipboard and made some marks on the top paper. I looked at my mom. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her hands were fisted so tight her knuckles were white. Through it all Seth just kept massaging, hands moving down to my shoulders again. I closed my eyes again, bored. The doctor clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I'm afraid you're going to have to have surgery, Karleigh."

I sat up, startled. "Surgery?" I asked. Seth pushed me back down onto the examination bed. The doctor and my mother stared at me, strangely. I groaned, and pressed my face into the weird paper covering on the bed.

"It's fairly routine," the doctor said. He droned on for a few minutes, my mom nodding her head occasionally and murmuring inane questions from time to time. At first I didn't even notice it when Seth stopped massaging my back. My back didn't start throbbing when he took his hands away, thankfully. I glanced up at him. He was leaning against the wall, hands stuck in his pockets, watching the doctor and my mother with a critical eye. I could only wonder what he was thinking. His eyes were sharp, narrowed, and even though I'd just met him I got the feeling he figured he knew more about my condition than the doctor did. A surprise to me, I actually wanted to know what his opinion was. That was insane, of course. He was just a nurse, and he hadn't even examined me, he couldn't know all that much..

He looked down at me, and didn't smile. We stared at each other for a minute, until my mom tapped my shoulder and hauled me out of the examination room. She said something about needing to go by the pharmacy, pick up some pain medication, and I agreed. Already my back was aching again. I wished I was still getting that massage, that had been wonderful.

I was hunched over by the time we got out to the parking lot, forced to look at the ground as we walked. My mother linked her arm through mine and helped me totter over to the car, a gold-colored sedan. My eyes just caught the bumper, and my mom opened my door for me, helped me into the backseat. I managed to get my seatbelt by myself, and she got into the driver's seat. Sighing, I fell over, intending to go to sleep. The seatbelt would probably kill me if we got into a crash, but I didn't figure the chances of that being so high.

My cheek hit someone's thigh. I jerked up, saw Seth grinning at me. "What the hell are you doing?" I screamed, pushing myself up against the car door. How'd he get in here?

"Karleigh, watch your tongue!" my mom snapped. "I'm just checking my hair, don't be in such a rush!"

Gaping at her, I turned back to Seth. He was smirking, and he winked at me. He was dressed in jeans and a blue button-up shirt now, he had a silver watch on his wrist. "She can't see me or hear me, Karleigh. I'm all yours," he said. He bent forward and brushed his finger over my chin, making me shut my mouth. For a second his hand lingered there, and then dropped back to his lap. "Tell me," he said, leaning back. "Do you know what a Muse is?"

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"…Yes…" I said, half in the present and half in my mom's old car. Then I grasped what I'd just admitted to. Seth looked like he would've bent down and kissed me if Jareth and Raphael and the Zelda girl hadn't been staring at us like we'd just announced we had bombs strapped to our stomachs. I blushed, thought about correcting myself, and then realized I didn't want to in the least.

Raphael looked down. "Love," he barked. He thought about it for a moment, opened and shut his mouth a few times. The Zelda girl was watching him intently, Jareth had opened up a scroll and was circling things with a big feather quill. The judge jumped off the desk and landed on the floor with a soft _thud. _"I can't _believe _this is your reason I cannot _believe _you think I am going to accept that answer. It's absolutely disgusting," he said. The blood drained out of my face, and I gripped the arms of my chair, suddenly terrified. Seth looked confused, the Zelda girl was enraged, and Jareth was humming to himself. "I am absolutely _not _going to pardon you for such a pathetic excuse."

Seth's hand was on my shoulder, pulling me away from Raphael. He walked me over to the door, all the while gripping my arm, helping me walk. I felt as helpless as the day I'd first met him. But now, well, everything was all backwards, everything was wrong. Seth opened the door to the room and pushed me out into the hallway. "A goblin will take you somewhere you can relax," he said, frowning. He undid the button on his collar, nervously tugged on his shirt. "Don't worry about me," he added, noting the look on my face. "I'll be fine."

"He's going to kill you," I said, and my voice cracked.

"Go," Seth said, carefully keeping his face blank. He shut the door. I stared at the wooden paneling for a moment, and felt someone tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a goblin, a particularly ugly one, which was saying something. My shoulders slumped, and I reluctantly followed it down the hallway.

Seth, gone. Already. And I hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. He'd said not to worry, but I had to. The look on Judge Raphael's face had been easy to read: he was going to have Seth put to death. Oh God, that rhymed. I stumbled, and accidentally knocked into the goblin. It scowled at me and headed down a staircase, me right behind. I felt like I was about to cry. Who knew if Raphael would let me see Seth again before he … _deep breath _… went away. Seth hadn't said goodbye. People said goodbye when they had the intention of saying hello again. I clenched my fists at my sides, and stomped down the next hallway after the goblin. He opened a door and I walked inside a small bedroom, barer than the one Seth had taken me to before. I turned around to ask the goblin something but it had already shut the door and was gone.

I looked around, and saw another door. Sighing, I opened it. Beyond was a bathroom, in white marble. I stared at the clawfoot tub for a moment, before deciding that I really needed to hop in. I closed the door behind me, turned on the hot water, and quickly undressed. The second The last of my clothes hit the floor I jumped into the water, on the off chance that Seth walked in. I nearly jumped back out again, the water was so hot. Wincing, I turned the cold tap on too.

I sank under the water and waited until the tub was full to turn the faucets off. The 'bath' my guardian… Rachelle had given my earlier in that pond had made me feel dirtier. Scrubbing the dirt off my shoulders, watching it fall into the water, felt like peeling off a second, scaly skin. I wanted to use up the entire soap bar, even though it made the cuts on my legs and the ones from the fall Rachelle had given me sting like hell, until I spotted the shampoo. I used two palmfuls. Then I let the dirty water drain out, and filled the tub back up with fresh water.

When I finally came back out, grudgingly dressed in my t-shirt and jeans, I half expected Seth to be sitting on the bed, wine-soaked shirt tossed to the floor, shoes kicked off. He wasn't, of course. Bastard.

Fuming, I fell on the bed and punched the pillow. Where did Raphael get off? What made him so high and mighty that he just flung death convictions around like no tomorrow? A shot of pain arched through my back. Grunting, I fell down on the bed, smothered by the pillow. My back started aching, and it occurred to me for the first time that I didn't have my pain medication with me. I groaned. I didn't even have Seth to make it feel better, or anything to distract myself with. If I was lucky I'd get to sleep, but I doubted that. When my back acted up like this, _Damn I sound ancient, _I always had a hard time falling asleep. It was difficult to take my mind off the pain… for the past year Seth had been helping me with that.

He wouldn't help me pick out classes for my junior year. He'd seen me turn sixteen, in six months he wouldn't be there to see me turn seventeen. He wouldn't help me pick out a college, he wouldn't be at my high school graduation, he wouldn't be there if and when I published my first book. And he wouldn't be there to see me finish my fanfic.

The first of many tears rolled out of my eyes.

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Seth was sitting by the fire, his chin resting in his hand. He hadn't been listening to the conversation since he'd sent Karleigh off. Malferz tried to shake him out of his stupor, but had no success. She sighed and walked back over to Jareth's desk. Raphael was resolute, he refused to try and be talked out of his decision. He kept shaking his head, even when nobody was talking to him. His shoes were uncomfortable, this was longer than his normal workday, and he wanted to kick them off, but couldn't. The Goblin King was circling things in his scroll, reading over things. "Well?" Malferz finally asked, looking back and forth between them. Jareth stood up and unrolled the scroll completely.

He cleared his throat and began reading. "Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems. Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists. Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change. A Guide to Aquaculture," he said. Raphael tensed, his eyes darted towards Jareth, sucked in a deep breath through clenched teeth. Malferz was confused, she didn't understand what was going on. Across the room Seth raised his head slightly, still staring into the fire. "A Guide to Beekeeping. Raising A Healthy Flock of Sheep. Encyclopedia Britannica, editions -"

"Stop," Raphael said. "Why are you reading an index of my library?"

Jareth smiled. "I'm reading an inventory of books Lord Seth of Edoc has stolen from Aboveground and brought to Underground, Your Honor," he said. "Of course, this is only a recent list. Would you like to hear one from before you were banished to spend the rest of your life in our world?"

Nothing, for a minute. Then Raphael collapsed into a chair, his hands shaking, his face pale. He titled his head down, pressing his chin tight against his chest. Jareth rolled the scroll back up and laid it down on his desk, a slight smirk on his face. He glanced over at Seth, who had stood up, and was watching the group with a guarded look. "No one knows about that," Raphael finally said, softly. He paused for a moment. "It happened so long ago I don't even know how many years have passed. But I do remember that I destroyed the records myself."

"You set a room on fire," Jareth corrected him. He looked up at the ceiling, thought for a minute. "If I remember correctly… and I usually do, you're one-fourth human, one-fourth Fae, one-fourth fairy, and one-fourth mer. You're incredibly lucky, you know," he said idly. "To be blessed with the physical characteristics of only one of those species. Your parents, I believe, were not so lucky," he said. He watched Raphael, and missed Malferz's startled gasp. She stared at Raphael in utter disbelief. He looked human - sure, he was rumored to have the endurance of a Fae - but fairy and _mer?_ Where the hell had those come from, Atlantis, the outer regions of the Labyrinth?

"My mother looked human, but she had fairy wings. Small ones, but they were still there, and poked out from underneath all her dresses," Raphael finally said. "My father was a Fae with outlandishly dry skin, and the uncanny ability to speak to fish and water-dwelling mammals and reptiles. Aboveground was not tolerant of them, let alone their child," he muttered, bitterly. "Especially once I reached puberty and my powers began to develop." He took a few deep breaths, buried his face in his hands, to keep everyone from seeing the few tears that fell from his eyes. "So they had a witch send me _here, _where I haven't aged a day since." His shoulders were shaking now. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to survive in Underground when you were born in Aboveground? When the blood between you and your paranormal relatives is no thicker than water? It's almost impossible, the first job I had down here was as a stable boy!"

He looked up, face wet with tears and a scowl spread across it. Jareth actually took a step back, and Seth moved a little closer to his chair, amazed by the rage Raphael had worked himself into. "And when I finally saved up enough money to see a sorceress, what did I get? She couldn't send me back - I was stuck here permanently." He stood up and pointed a finger at Seth, who flinched. "Why should he get a second chance, get the ability to go between worlds at will, when I have no such privilege? My parents were still in Aboveground, I loved them, but I never got to see them again. That witch's powers reach out from the grave, binding me here, no magic in either world can undo it." He sobbed, and dropped to the floor, arms clutched over his stomach. His shoulders shook as he kept crying. "I don't have that ability, I'm not going to give it to someone else! And won't it be kinder to kill him, when he won't be able to see his love? Wouldn't it be kinder to end his life myself rather than wait for him to do it, kinder to kill him in the gas chamber than make him slit his wrists to end his agony?"

Malferz reached out to touch Raphael's shoulder, he knocked her hand away. She gritted her teeth and slapped him. Startled, he pressed his hand to his face, sobs disappearing. Tears ran down his face, but he was too shocked to make any noise. "So you're going to do the same fucking thing to Seth that was done to you?" Malferz asked coldly, glaring at him, hands on her hips. "Oh, real mature. You keep saying you're not a kid but you're sure as hell acting like one," she snapped. She pivoted and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. One of the hinges fell off.

Raphael kept his hand over the stinging place where she'd slapped him. He stared at the door for a moment, eyes dull. Seth pushed himself off his chair and stumbled after Malferz. "She's going to rip a wall down unless someone stops her," he said, leaving the room. He shut the door very quietly behind him, which wasn't an easy job. With the missing hinge it was hard. But he finally managed to do it, and Jareth looked at the door, thinking to himself. _Why did they have to leave me alone with this nutcase? How in the world do they expect me to talk myself out of this room? The damned kid is crying, what do they expect me to do?_

"Is that what I'm doing?" Raphael asked, voice barely above a whisper. "Have I turned into that witch?"

"Yes," Jareth said bluntly.

Sighing, Raphael fell back on his haunches. "I became a judge so I could control things, here in Underground," he said, wiping his face off with his sleeve. That had been an embarrassing episode. He felt naked, even in his restricting judge's robe. "Because when I got here, I couldn't control anything. Not why I came, not getting back, not what happened to me now that I was in a foreign dimension." His chest still ached from the sobs. He'd never get over this humiliation. He looked down, ran his hands through his hair, imagined blood on his skin. He needed a fix. "Seth had that for the last year. But at least he had someone who cared about him. And let's face it, Karleigh can't solve the Labyrinth by herself. And her surrogate runner is a joke, she's never going to solve it either. So Seth is doomed to stay here. And since he's a criminal, he must be dealt with.

"You think I'm being mean to him? I can't let him have all the things you've asked for. I became a judge to control things, to keep things in order. Overturning his conviction completely would destroy that. But I know putting him in jail here, or assigning him to another author, would be torture. I'm not inhuman. I have a heart." He stood up, and looked the Goblin King square in the eye. He showed no sign of the breakdown moments earlier. "Killing him is infinitely kinder than condemning him to endless suffering in jail or under the command of another person in Museship. It will keep him from despairing over his lost love for the rest of eternity. Someone should've done it to me a long time ago."

Jareth, bored, summoned up a crystal. He played it over his fingers, and sighed. "Listen, I know you're a masochist, but don't you think this is going a little far?" He slid off his jacket while still keeping the crystal rolling over his fingertips. "I know you're living vicariously through Seth, but this self-destructive streak in you should stay limited to you." He glared at Raphael, and the judge wilted. "You're the most pathetic person I think I've ever met. You've been interested in Seth's case from the beginning," he said, taking a few steps towards Raphael. "You made sure Seth was placed with an author who had a heart. You made sure he wouldn't be miserable when he went to this other dimension." He took a couple more steps. "You were trying to give him the chance you never had. And he's thrown that back in your face, hasn't he? He got back here and he intends to stay, and you can't take that." Taking a deep breath, Jareth crushed the crystal in his gloved hand. He opened his fingers and the shiny dust floated to the floor. "You see that as a failure, don't you? And since you see yourself as him, you're trying to punish yourself with this death thing." He blew a small stream of air at his hand, and the glass dust swept onto Raphael's face, into his eyes. "Well, listen to this, Your Honor."

Jareth grabbed Raphael's collar and lifted him off the ground. "You are not Seth. You are never going to get back to Aboveground. And you are not in any way responsible for your lineage. Don't let your blood define you," he said, throwing Raphael to the ground. He stepped on the boy's chest, and dug the heel of his boot into his ribs. "Act above what those common superstitious peasants thought you were, do something honorable. You say you're humane, act it." He kicked Raphael in the side, scowled, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The other hinge broke off with the force of the blow, and the door fell down.

The next person to walk through the door made Raphael gape. "Oh, fuck," he muttered.

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"Malferz, stop it," Seth said, running down the hall after her. He was running mostly because the carpet was on fire. Every step Malferz took left the floor smoldering, every time she brushed up against a tapestry or a painting, the fabric turned to black ash, or the paint began to melt. Seth practically skip down the hall to avoid having his shoes catch on fire. "Damn it girl, stop right there!" he yelled. She ignored him. Coming to a staircase, she hopped onto the banister and used it like a slide. Seth stared after her, scowling. "Oh come _on,_" he muttered. "You have got to be kidding me." He stared at her, as she continued to slide down the dark wood banister. "You're not going to make me do it," he called. He started jogging down the stairs.

She stuck her tongue out at him and kept her grip on the banister light. "You're no fun," she said. The finishing on the banister started to melt, and dropped to the stone step in large, hot blobs. She got ahead of herself a little and the finishing in front of her started to melt, too, burning her legs a little as she slid by. She fell off the banister and quickly scraped the finishing of her thighs, before it could cool and harden. Seth finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, and tackled her. She glared at him but didn't fight back, knowing he'd just chase after her again. "Okay," she said, closing her eyes. "Go ahead. Give me a speech."

"No," he said, kissing the bridge of her nose, right between her eyes. "I need you to give me a speech." He rolled over, laid down on the floor next to her. Sighing, he propped his feet up on the bottom step and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do I do, Mally?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"_You _put that nickname in Nor's head?" she asked, sitting up.

He glared at her. "This isn't the time," he said. "I need you to tell me what to do. I've got maybe six hours left with Karleigh before your lawman boyfriend carts me off to the Justice Building in Capitol. What do I do?"

She straddled him and punched him in the stomach. "He is not my fucking boyfriend."

"I didn't say you were having sex yet," Seth drawled. It earned him another punch in the stomach, he winced, and drew his legs up a little. "Okay okay I take it back," he muttered. "But I need your advice, as a woman," he said, grabbing her arms. "If your boyfriend were about to die, and you only had a few hours left with him, what would you want to do?"

Malferz raised her eyebrows. "So, you're Karleigh's boyfriend now?" she asked. Seth frowned and pinched both her arms, making her cry out. "Fine, fine," she said. She sighed and thought about it for a moment, eyes staring into some fantasy time and place. "Honestly?" she asked, rolling off of Seth. She crossed her legs up underneath her and combed her hair behind her ears. She rested her chin in her hands, propped her elbows on her knees. "I'd want him to take me dancing," she said, softly, closing her eyes. "I'd want him to insist that I dress up, and dress up himself, and I'd want to go dancing by some lake or river or ocean or something. Complete privacy, not some club." She sighed. "Just the two of us."

"You think Karleigh would like that?"

"I don't know a woman who wouldn't."

Seth sat up and stared at Malferz. "Can't you do something to get Raphael to change his mind?" he asked.

"I could kill him," she suggested. Seth shook his head. "Right," Malferz said, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "He'll be investigated." She thought for a few minutes. "I'd torture him, but, well, he'd only like it. Looks like you're a goner, buddy," she said, smiling at Seth.

"Fuck you," he muttered, laying back down.

She rolled her eyes. "I got over you a long time ago, thanks," she said.

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"Hey-lo!"

Jareth froze. He was lounging in his throne, occasionally kicking at goblins and chickens that hadn't found their way into the stew pots of the kitchen yet. He'd been anxiously playing with three crystals, presently they all fell to the floor, popping when they hit the stones. He would've been twisting his riding crop around but Malferz still had it, he was really going to have to steal that back. After he dealt with this… unexpected guest.

"Jareth!" the voice crooned. "Oh Jare-eth!"

Four echoes of four feet crossing the floor. Jareth swung his legs over the arm of his throne and planted his feet firmly on the floor. He braced himself and smiled, without humor. "Guards," he said, looking down at his goblins. The goblins who were currently holding weapons scrambled in front of the throne, and saluted. Jareth stood up and started walking along the row, kicking every one of them to the floor. "Aren't you even the least bit capable of doing your jobs?" he demanded, growling under his breath. "Can't you carry out the simplest commands? All I ask of you," he said, scowling. "Is to make sure I know when people are coming up here. And you let these two slip right into this room, you disgust me."

"I thought I disgusted you, Jareth," Raphael said, halting just in front of the throne.

"You both do," Jareth said, nodding at his guests. "You, Judge, and you, Lady," he said.

Lady Rachelle smirked and giggled. "You forgot, I've gone through the Labyrinth almost more times than you have. True, I had Seth with me," she said, voice cracking on the name. "But I made it through myself." She made a weightlifting motion with her arm, smiled broader and giggled again. "Tougher than I look."

"This presents an interesting barrier to you," Jareth said, looking at Raphael. "Looks like Rachelle just won Seth back for Karleigh," he murmured. "Kinda puts a stopper on the whole death sentence, don't it?"

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**Kerist:** Whoa, what the hell did I do to Jareth? Was that a tough-love father there with Raphael or a disturbing bully older brother? Or was he just looking out for his dear childhood friend, Seth? Tee hee. And poor tormented Raphael. I'm so mean to my characters. They're gonna beat me up one of these days. Anyway. I have a question! I'm thinking of doing a sequel (I have thought of a plot, gasp) and I want to know what you guys think of it. Keep in mind that my muse(aka Seth)has stolen from me the ability to summarize an entire plot in a couple of sentences, so this isn't very good:

Karleigh and Seth are in Underground when he is called to repay a favor. Karleigh meets his parents, and Jareth's old babysitter, while he risks jail time. This is one vacation to end in definite surprise for everyone...

Tentative Title: Vacation Underground. But if you have any ideas, they are very much welcome! Titles and summaries are hard! Anyway, wonderful, wonderful reviewer recognition time!

**Fou Fou: **Yay, I didn't kill my leading man! Cause if I did, I'd be mobbed. Hehe nah I was never gonna kill him. Thanks so much for reviewing!

**BlueyChan: **Ah, hope you liked the back story on Raphael, who for some odd reason I keep calling Rachelle. Thanks a ton for the review!

**Princess-RainbowRose: **'You have Seth and Kerist dating,' huh? I think Karleigh'd get a little jealous if I started dating Seth. And after all I've done to the poor guy, he'd probably kill me halfway through our first date. Haha just poking at you. I can do that since you're such a faithful reader! Thanks so much for encouraging me all this time!

**sych77: **Your review was awesome, so my response will be long. Black holes are gravity, they're collapsed stars. I think I remember that from Magic School Bus. And, no, I never clean my room. I hate cleaning. I just kind of stuff everything under my bed. But thanks to Oust, no more rotting flesh smell! Love Oust. And I figure Jareth's the kind of person who's only nice to his friends… and a bastard to everyone else. I mean, look how he treated poor dear Hoggle. I can't picture Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka… it's like picturing Edward Scissorhands running a chocolate factory. Though I don't think there's much difference between Jareth's goblins and Wonka's oompah-loompahs.

And I am _so_ signing all my friends' yearbooks with Brilliance Incarnate. In fact, I'm signing everything with that now. Letters, emails, website comments, police statements… :cough: anyway. Thanks so much for the awesome review!

**LadyLuck321: **I love seeing people with Muses! Looked at your profile and CreativeImagination's, I love the idea of a Muse adoption service! And so does Seth!

Seth: No. I don't. I'd much rather go back to Underground. You're a terrible author to be a Muse for. You keep abusing me.

Kerist: Tough luck, you're mine now. And where do you think I got the idea to put you in my story, huh? It had to be you! Mwahahahah! (I really laugh like that. Sigh.) Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing!


	18. Finale Leads to Future

**Kerist:** Ahh, last chapter! Sorry if that was a bit confusing on the previous one. This is the ending to Innocent Musings, I swear! I know the update was fast (just a few hours) but I just felt I had to write it. It was either this or my AP paper (which is due in like 4 days, damn it, I really need to start that) so I chose this, of course. I'm a procrastinator and I really need to stop it. Anyway.

It's been a long road. Seven months! Wow. One last shout out to the reviewers of this story, thanks so much for sticking with me even when I got insane! Hope you come around for the next one, and maybe I'll attract some new people too!

**Disclaimer:** For the last time, don't own Labyrinth.

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I woke up, feeling dazed. My face was caked in dried tears. Scowling, I rolled onto my back, which had finally stopped aching. Seth was sitting on the end of the tiny bed, arms crossed over his chest. For a second I just stared at him. His head was tilted down, and it took me a moment but I realized he was sleeping. A smile crossed my face, and I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I watched him sleep, and thought about what I was going to do. He'd be dead soon, gone from my life forever. What was I going to do without him?

For one thing, I'd be alone a lot more. My friends and I weren't exactly the most exciting people, maybe I'd have to start asking for an allowance so I could go out on the weekends. Or I could join a club. The creative writing club, maybe. They probably wouldn't have too much patience for fan fiction though. I slammed my hands over my eyes. No, something completely different than writing, something that won't remind me of Seth at all. Sniffling, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stumbled up. But I stood too quickly and ended up falling into Seth.

Startled, he jerked awake just as I fell into his lap. We stared at each other for a minute before I buried my face in his shirt. He put his arms around me and we just sat there. Once he tried to say something but ended up losing his voice. I swallowed hard and rested my head on his shoulder. He was wearing a new shirt, another white one without the wine stain. Suddenly the silence was too much for me. "Is he going to let you have a last request?" I asked. It was the only thing I could think to say.

Seth gave me a weird look. "I don't know," he said, tucking my hair behind my ears.

"You could ask for a new trial," I said, slowly realizing I was really sitting in his lap. One of his hands was on my hip, the other on my shoulder. I felt weird, like some sort of stuffed animal or something. "Or a new judge." I frowned and shook my head. "I don't like Raphael. He's… he seems too personally involved in this. His reasoning didn't seem to have anything to do with the law."

"It's been so long since the last trial, I doubt I'd get any punishment at all," Seth mused. "Time passes faster in Underground," he added, and I rolled my eyes. "I guessed that," I said. He glared at me, but the glare quickly faded into a tired smile. "I wish I hadn't been so mean to you earlier," he said, sighing. My stomach twisted into a knot, and I gulped. "We never would've ended up in this mess if it wasn't for me," he said, lightly brushing his lips against my cheek.

My heart jumped to my throat. "I made the wish," I whispered. "It's my fault."

"No," Seth said, nuzzling my neck. "It's Rachelle's fault. You would've made it through the Labyrinth in no time if she hadn't gotten involved," he said. I absentmindedly ran my fingers through his hair, something I'd always wanted to do but never gotten up the courage to. He smirked at me.

"Jareth said he gave me so much time because of what _you _told him," I said. "What, did you two email each other while you were in Aboveground?" I asked.

"Yeah. You want his email address?" he asked. "Or better yet, his fanfiction penname?"

I gaped at him. "Jareth writes fanfiction about himself?" I asked. Seth grinned and nodded. I started laughing, mostly because I could completely picture that. I bet they were all Sarah romances. I wondered if he was any good at writing. Hell, I'd read his stories if I had the chance. They'd be hilarious. I kept laughing, eventually so hard that I started crying. Seth held me against his chest until the laughing stopped. But, unfortunately, the tears kept coming. I grabbed Seth's shoulders and dug my fingers in so hard he winced.

"Kar," he mumbled, prying my hands off him. "Don't cry, please." He wiped as many tears as he could off my face, using both hands. I couldn't, though. It was too hard, I needed to cry. Didn't he get it? In maybe just a few hours he was going to die, for one of the stupidest reasons I'd ever heard. So what if he stole something? Put him on parole, don't kill him! But I couldn't say this, the tears were too thick. "Stop," he ordered, grabbing my chin. "I can't be strong for you if you don't stop this, Karleigh."

Someone cleared their throat. We both looked up at the doorway, to see Raphael standing there. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his face was bright pink. We stared at him and he stared at us. Then Rachelle popped up behind him, wearing a new gold dress. Seth pushed me off his lap and stood up. In spite of myself I grabbed onto the end board of the bed, the memories of the mirrored room and the jungle all rushing back to me.

"Um…" Raphael said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Apparently I picked a remarkable surrogate runner for Karleigh," he said. "She, well, she's here," he said, looking over his shoulder at Rachelle. His shoulders were slumped, and he looked absolutely floored. Rachelle was swaying back and forth, and kept giggling. She raised her hand and waved at Seth, in one of those bubblegum wiggle-your-fingers moves. She bit her lip and looked down shyly. I was gripping the bed hard enough that my hands hurt, and Seth had his hand on his hip like he was about to unsheathe a sword. "So… Seth… um…"

"_Lord _Seth," Rachelle corrected him. She blushed and tried to hide behind Raphael, but since she was over a foot taller than him it didn't work very well.

Raphael choked. "Yes," he said, weakly. "Lord Seth," he said, and he had to spit the words out. "It seems the only person I'm going to be punishing is Lady Rachelle here." And he seemed devastated about it, too.

"Awwww…." Rachelle said. She put her hands on Raphael's shoulders and kissed his cheek. He gritted his teeth and his hands dropped to his sides, curled up into fists. "Pretty please be nice?" she asked, hugging him against her. I hate to say it but she practically suffocated him in her chest. He tried to push back but she'd lifted her up off the floor. "I wasn't so bad, was I?" she asked, her voice high and whiny. Seth growled, and his hand dove into his pocket. I half expected him to pull out a gun, but he discovered he had nothing in his pocket, much to his disappointment.

"Put him down," Seth said. Rachelle stuck out her lower lip but obliged. Raphael, shaking, stumbled away from her, nervously smoothing out his robe and his hair. Seth huffed and grabbed the young judge's shoulder. "So you're telling me that Karleigh and I can go home in one piece?" he asked. I slid off the bed and walked over to him, lightly putting my hand on his arm. I was kind of scared he'd kill Raphael. "You're going to leave us alone now?" Seth asked, shaking Raphael. The kid pushed Seth's hand off and nodded, his blush finally fading. "So you _and _Rachelle are going to be leaving?" Seth pressed.

I looked at Rachelle, who was sucking on a curl of her hair. She smiled weakly at me and waved, another finger-wiggle thing. I glanced at Seth, who was having a staring contest with Raphael, and inched away from him, towards Rachelle. My heart hammered as I walked over to her, but from the memories, not from any look or sign she was giving me. She giggled again when I finally stood next to her. "Hi Rachelle," I said, slowly.

She giggled. "Hi Karleigh. M'sorry if I scared you."

I stared at her. "What happened in the Labyrinth?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. She shrugged, and started tugging on the skirt of her dress. I looked closer at it, and was startled. The skirt was poofy, but from ruffles, not the hoops she'd been wearing before. And it had straps over her shoulders, and she was wearing a gold-colored shirt underneath it. And her shoes had button straps, where I had expected slippers. She was dressed like a little kid. "Rachelle?" I asked. I laid my hand on her shoulder and she started sucking on her hair again. I looked over my shoulder. Seth and Raphael were gaping at me. "She seems different," I said by way of explanation.

"Well, she's not trying to kill you," Seth said. He took a few steps in our direction.

Raphael scratched his neck. "Jareth's guards were monitoring her progress," he said. "But they lost her for about ten minutes, halfway through. When they found her again she was moving much faster," he said. Seth grabbed my hand and pulled it off Rachelle. He glared at her, and she backed up against the doorframe, whimpering quietly. "Something happened to her while she was missing," Raphael said, softly. "She's become… childlike. Of course, we can't put her in jail like this," he said.

"Sure you can," Seth muttered. I elbowed him in the stomach. He scowled at me.

"She'll be put in solitary at a mental asylum," Raphael said. Rachelle didn't act like she understood what was going on here, how the men in the room were talking like she wasn't even there. "A little white room with a tiny bed, which she'll be strapped to at night. We can't have her hurting herself."

"I beg to differ," Seth said. "I think she's faking it."

I looked at Rachelle. She looked innocent, of all things. "No," I said, tilting my head to the side. There was nothing behind her eyes, it seemed like everything had been wiped away. "No, I think it's real. Someone did something to her," I mused. Seth slid his arms around my neck, and kissed the top of my head. I kept staring at Rachelle. Whoever did that to her… had to be even worse than she had been, more powerful even. I thought about it for another minute, and could only come up with one suspect.

The Goblin King.

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Jareth watched as Seth poured his third glass of wine. Karleigh regarded him with a measure of disapproval, but she didn't say anything. Jareth had a glass in his hand, but he hadn't taken a sip of it since the meeting began. He swirled the wine around, watching the pattern of the whirlpool he created. "So, you're going back to Edoc?" he finally asked, raising the glass to his lips for the first time. He tipped the glass but only a few drops fell into his throat.

"For a while, yes," Seth said, downing half his drink. Next to him, on the little red loveseat Jareth had carefully arranged in his throne room, Karleigh rolled her eyes. The floor of the room was clean, for once, and all the goblins had been ordered to stay out for the next few hours. "Karleigh's got eleven days left, now," Seth went on. "We're going to stop by the estate so I can check up on things, but I want to show her around Capitol."

"Such a creative name," she remarked.

Jareth smiled and set his glass down. "Well, Raphael and Rachelle left a few hours ago, if you didn't notice," he said, pulling off his lavender gloves. He laid the gloves over his knee and tapped the arm of his throne, thinking.

"It's been much quieter," Seth said. He reached out to fill his glass again but Karleigh grabbed the near-empty wine bottle and shook her head. "I don't care if you _are _a Fae," she said, glaring at him. "You've had enough of that for today." Seth sighed and drank the last few drops in his glass. He looked up at Jareth. "How's Malferz holding up?"

The King winced. "I have no idea where she is," he admitted. "She's taken Nor and run off into the Labyrinth. I can only hope it will still be there when she finally stops pouting." He shook his head and sighed. Then, suddenly, he stood up and started sliding his fingers back into his gloves. Seth sensed something and stood up too, pulling Karleigh up by the elbow. Jareth frowned and grabbed his jacket from his throne. "Someone has just made a wish," he explained, shaking his head. "I am not looking forward to the next thirteen hours."

"You need a body double," Karleigh said. Jareth laughed quietly and smiled at her. Malferz had lent her some clothes, simple beige drawstring pants, and a white peasant blouse with a beige string to tie up the front. She'd seemed more at ease since she'd been able to cover herself up. Jareth shook Seth's hand and summoned a crystal, which he handed to Karleigh. He smiled wryly and kissed her hand, noticing how closely Seth watched him do it. She looked at the crystal, intrigued. "The answers to all my questions?" she guessed, raising her eyebrows.

"You'll have to find those yourself, I'm afraid," Jareth told her.

She looked down at the crystal. "I need to ask you something…" she said, hesitantly.

Jareth bowed, chuckling slightly. "Anything," he said.

She swallowed and gripped the crystal bauble like a lifeline. "Did you… uh… did you do something to Rachelle while she was in the Labyrinth?" she asked, voice trembling slightly. "To make her like she is now?"

"Of course not," Jareth said. "I have no idea what happened to her. Perhaps the Labyrinth was wreaking its revenge, hmm?" Karleigh looked at his eyes, trying to see if he was lying to her. She couldn't tell. He sighed and tugged on his jacket. "I must be going now," he said. "The goblins can only entertain this wisher for so long."

And with that, he disappeared.

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Seth helped Karleigh into the carriage. He nodded at the driver and stepped in himself, shutting the door behind him. Karleigh was already looking out the window. Seth rolled his eyes. "You've seen all this before," he said, settling himself down on the uncomfortable carriage bench. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he shook his head. "I shudder to think what you're going to be like when we get to my house, or Capitol."

The carriage started off. Karleigh watched the Labyrinth pass by outside the window. "Do you think Jareth was lying about Rachelle?" she asked, looking over hedges and walls, expecting to see somebody in a black cape hopping around, wiping people's memories and stealing brains. Seth didn't answer, and she turned around. He was looking at her, his eyes narrowed. He crossed his legs, leaned over, and shut the curtain on her window. "Seth," she said, laughing as he laid his arm over her shoulder and pulled her up against him.

"There's nothing out that window you need to see," he murmured, gently kissing her.

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The carriage left the Labyrinth's boundary, and bumped over the dirt road towards Edoc in the west. The air above the Labyrinth vibrated, and a wind rushed down over the hill. It curled around the wheels of the black carriage, slid through the hair of the horses, and knocked off the driver's cap. The driver scowled but didn't stop to pick up his hat. He clicked the reigns and sped the two horses up, taking solace in the rhythmic clopping of their hooves.

The wind circled the carriage, and if you looked closely enough, you could see sparkling dust, like glitter.

Miles head of that carriage, another one was plodding along, at a slightly slower pace. Inside Raphael watched Rachelle closely, ever amazed by the Lady's strange behavior. She was staring out the window, pointing out every farm animal and every passerby they happened upon. She didn't act like someone who was about to be committed to a mental asylum, or who had just tried to kill a teenage girl.

Raphael looked down at the bag in his hand. He thought about it for a minute, reached in, and pulled out a little glass container. He cleared his throat. "Rachelle," he said, reaching out with the container in his hand. "Since you've been so good, you can have this," he said. She looked at the container and back up slightly, her bottom lip trembling. "Rachelle?" Raphael asked. He looked down at the container and frowned. "It's makeup… I thought you would like it," he said. Something about her changed behavior made him want to pamper her a little. It was just weird.

The makeup in the container was clear, a lip gloss with glitter sprinkled through it. Rachelle knocked it out of Raphael's hands. It rolled around on the floor and under the bench. As soon as it was out of her sight, Rachelle relaxed and looked back out the window. "Look," she said, pointing. "What's that?"

Nerves grating, Raphael leaned over and looked out the window. His jaw dropped. "It's a cow."

There was one outside Seth and Karleigh's carriage, too, but the curtains on their windows were still drawn and they didn't see it. Karleigh was resting her head on Seth's shoulder, and he was staring at the ceiling. "How can I stay in Underground for so long?" she asked, tracing a circle in his white shirt. "I think my family might get worried," she said, looking up at her Muse. "If Jareth let them go from… wherever he put them."

"Time's stopped in Aboveground, basically," Seth said. "None will have passed when you get back."

Karleigh digested that. "When _I _get back," she said, softly. "You're not coming?"

Seth pressed his lips into a fine line. "I'll visit you, but for the first few months, I'll have to spend most of my time in Underground. I've been away for too long," he said, patting her hand. He didn't notice her sigh. "Raphael was so upset about Rachelle showing up that he signed off on everything we asked for." He looked at Karleigh and gripped her chin in his hand, smirking. "You can visit me, too, you know," he said.

"I know," she said, smiling back. "I'm looking forward to bugging you every weekend," she said.

"You can't come just to have extra homework time," Seth said. Karleigh playfully punched him in the shoulder. He sighed and leaned back on the bench. "Vacation Underground, here she comes," he murmured.

"You act like you don't want me there," Karleigh said.

Seth kissed her again. "Believe me," he said, taking her hands in his. "I do."

_Yes,_ the glitter wind whispered. It curled away from the carriage and blew over the hills of Underground's countryside. It passed over humble villages and towering castles. Finally it came to a valley and plunged downwards into the shadows of the cliffs. At the bottom, in a mansion that seemed strangely modern for Underground, someone was waiting for it.

The wind blew the person's hair, leaving glitter on the short black strands. It left more glitter on the fabric covering his shoulders, and finally tickled his ear. _They're going to Edoc, and then Capitol, _it said. Then the air stilled, and glitter dropped to the ground. The man sighed, turned around, and walked towards the mansion in the distance, kicking up dirt as he walked. "Vacation Underground indeed," he murmured, ambling through a rose garden. "I think I may just take one myself."

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**Kerist:** Forgive me, I'm not good at endings. I was trying to have it lead into the sequel, where you'll find out who mysterious glitter man is. And which hopefully will have a more interesting ending than this one. Actually, I know it will. I'm very looking forward to it. (evil laugh)

To everyone who's been with me through this, and the people who've just reviewed one or two chapters (forgive me again, I'm watching the Oscars and feeling all sentimental even though I've seen about one of these movies. Go Lemony Snicket!):

Thanks so much for giving me your opinions on this story. I wasn't sure if I could take on the world of the Labyrinth and keep it in one piece. Maybe I didn't and you'll all point it out in anonymous reviews that I can't yell at you for, but I'm looking forward to making the sequel even better.


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